


From Law School to the White House and Everything in Between

by SeaDog11



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Family, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:02:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 114,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23897221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeaDog11/pseuds/SeaDog11
Summary: Law School was his main focus for the next three years. Nothing was going to change that.
Relationships: Josh Lyman/Donna Moss
Comments: 56
Kudos: 42





	1. Three Years and Counting

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there :) 
> 
> I have been working on this story for a year and a half, and I figured it was time to add it to my A03 account :) I am copying and pasting what I have published from my FanFiction account, author's notes and all. With that being said, I do apologize for the typing/grammatical errors that I missed. I cringed when I saw some of them during a read through a few months back, haha. 
> 
> \- SeaDog

Hi There! I decided that it was time I start publishing this little story I'm creating. Here are a few notes about this AU. It begins with Josh starting his three years at Yale Law School and Donna is an undergrad, recently having transferred from the University of Wisconsin. In the show, I always thought Josh was born around 1962 and Donna in 1974. In this story, Josh was born in 1968 and Donna in 1970. Amy Gardner is also a student at Yale Law in this AU. These characters are not mine, I am just borrowing them :)

I hope you enjoy the story!

********* 

Westport, Connecticut

Monday August 26th, 1991

Josh Lyman awoke up the steady buzzing of his alarm. It's the beginning of his second week at Yale Law School and he's already exhausted. The rumors were true, the first year really is a ton of reading. He had been told by his father that if you can make it through the demands of year one, then you can easily handle the second and third year. Noah Lyman had continued to tell his son that the second and third year of law school were by no means easy, so Josh knew he had a long three years ahead of him.

He had spent the summer as a File Clerk at Debevoise and Plimpton, working for one of the firm's partners. His dad was a partner there, had been for many years. The two had traveled to work every day on the commuter rail from Westport, sometimes staying in the city to catch a Mets game. Although living at home for the summer had taken some getting used to, Josh enjoyed the amount of time he was able to spend with his dad. During his time at Harvard for undergrad, he had picked up an internship every summer working for Congressman Atkins in the Massachusetts 5th so he stayed in Cambridge and never moved back home. His visits with his parents were for the most part holidays, and random weekends here and there when they would visit Harvard or he would come home.

After getting dressed and shoving textbooks and papers into his black Jansport backpack, he schlepped downstairs and sunk down into a chair at the breakfast table.

"Eat, Joshua, and tame that unruly head of hair you have. You can't go to class like that," Miriam Lyman ordered as she placed a stack of pancakes and turkey bacon in front of him. "I made you a nice breakfast because you were a good son and came home for the night because I missed you."

"Ugg, too tired for food," Josh complained as he let his head fall to the table.

"Joshua . . ." came a warning tone from his mother. In the Lyman household, you eat what's in front of you. Food doesn't go to waste and you don't complain about the menu. His dad's side of the family had lost too many family members in the Holocaust. His grandfather, Jacob Lyman, was liberated from Birkenau at the end of the war. His family had known hunger and suffering. His parents had taught him that you don't take what you have for granted, even if it's just a plate of pancakes.

"Yes mom, sorry," he took a rather too large bite of his breakfast.

"Thank you, b'NEE" (my son), she said with a smile causing Josh to give her a dimpled smile in return. He loved his parents, and loved seeing his mom smile. There had been a time in his past where he hardly saw her smile. He blamed himself. Why didn't he get Joanie before he ran out of the burning house? After eighteen years, the choice he made that night continues to haunt him.

Tossing his plate in the sink, he kissed his mother goodbye, said a quick "See ya later," to Buster, the Lymans yellow lab, and hopped in his 1985 blue Volvo 740 and headed north on 95 to New Haven while listening to NPR. A former Senatorial Campaign Manager was being interviewed and talking about the day to day life of managing a campaign. Josh was ready to be out there- move to DC and work on the hill or for a national campaign, make it to the White House and make a difference. Unfortunately, if he wanted to be a power player, he knew he really needed a J.D. or PhD. He had to show that he had some form of specialty in something. Almost everyone that you wanted to get a meeting with in DC had one or both of those distinctions. Hell he wasn't even sure he was going to take the bar exam in three years. He just wanted to get his law degree and move into professional politics. He should have worked for a campaign this summer, he missed it. He loved the intensity of it all, the thrill of getting polling numbers, the feel of victory. But when his Dad suggested he work at the firm, he just couldn't say no. His parents were so excited to have him home for the summer and they had given him so much, he felt like he owed them. He didn't hate the job, he just didn't particularly love it either. If anything, his summer spent in a law firm reinforced his determination to make it in professional politics. He had his dad to thank for that, because he introduced him to his long time friend, Leo McGarry.


	2. You're Late, Lyman

Josh had left Westport with plenty of time, or so he had thought, but the traffic had been unforgiving. A commute that should have taken him thirty minutes had turned into an hour. He parked his car at his apartment, which was only a ten minute walk to the Sterling Law Building, but Josh made it there in five, nearly running into a car, a sign, and two students on his way there. Out of breath and wheezing, he gracelessly opens and closes the classroom door and sinks into the first open desk he sees.

"You're late Lyman. It's only the second week. Try not to do it again, thanks," Professor Lawrence unceremoniously called from the front of the classroom while writing on the chalkboard, his back to the class.

"How the hell did he know it was me?" Josh muttered.

"I take roll call, Mr. Lyman . . . and since you were the only one NOT here, I took an educated guess when I heard the door open."

"Yes sir. Sorry sir."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to your cohort. You're disrupting them. I already know this information, and they paid to be here to learn it. You're taking up their time. Not everyone in this room comes from means, Mr. Lyman. Every minute disrupted is money spent."

"Sorry everyone," Josh said to his classmates sheepishly.

"Nice job, Mr. Fulbright Scholar," Amy Gardner snarked from two seats over. He had the good sense to ignore her and pay full attention to his Torts Professor for the next two hours and fifty one minutes of class. His relationship with Amy Gardner was an odd one. They had gone to Harvard together, she had actually dated his roommate Chris off and on for the better part of two years. Josh had been the unfortunate observer of many of their heated arguments. Amy screamed at Chris, Chris screamed at Amy . . . Seemed like their whole relationship was a screaming match. They didn't see eye to eye on much of anything. She had a habit of cutting his walkman headphone cord when she didn't get her way, "Chris if you can't listen to your damn music then maybe you will listen to your damn girlfriend." Usually, Josh had to cut his study sessions in his room short and head off to the library to get some peace and quiet. Usually when he came back the fight had ended and the couple went about as if nothing had happened. From time to time he would get an apology from Chris or one from Amy. There were also more awkward times when Josh would come home and have to listen to them having sex.

At the beginning of his senior year of college, she found Josh in the library one night. "You can probably go home and study, Chris and I ended our sorry excuse for a relationship at the beginning of the summer, so you don't have to worry about being bothered by our screaming matches." Somehow they ended up making on the front steps of the library, but nothing happened after that for months. It wasn't until December that they found themselves working as interns for Congressman Atkins for the Massachusetts 5th. They started sleeping together on and off throughout the internship up until graduation, and a few times this past summer, but nothing had happened in the past six weeks. She wasn't good for him, he knew that. He enjoyed their arguing from time to time, but she generally took it too far. She always had to have the last word, was blind to see someone else's point of view on anything but her own. She didn't mind who she stepped on to get her way. Josh had been the Lead Intern, a position he had worked hard for by interning during his summers, and during some pillow talk with Amy, shared his campaign kick-off ideas for the next election with her that he was planning on telling the Campaign Manager. She beat him to it and took all the credit. She had no problem taking from him.

Still, he found himself always going back for more. He felt like the only time they got along was when they were having sex. He enjoys it, he's not going to lie. He wouldn't say that she's his girlfriend, but he also wouldn't say that they're just friends either. There was something about her he liked. He was captivated, ensorcelled even. Enough so that he wasn't pursuing anyone else, and enough so that they went out on dates. They both seemed fine with their ill-defined relationship. He liked her passion, she was defiant, she was sexy. They were both on their way to becoming future political power players. Together, they could get a lot done. They could get meetings with a lot of powerful people if they were linked together or maybe they could run a successful campaign. That was a long ways away though, and Josh had no intentions of having anything serious right now. Law School was his main focus for the next three years. Nothing was going to change that.

"Josh, Amy. We're starting a study group. You two want in? I don't think any of us are going to pass Tort Law unless we combine brain power. It would be six of us. You two, Oscar, Phil, Linda, and myself. We can meet at Cabbot's at 8pm. I don't think that place ever closes."

"Yeah, okay. Thanks Kevin."

"He doesn't speak for me, but yeah I'm in," Amy added in a dry tone.

Josh rolled his eyes. He was really only answering for himself. Next time he will make that more clear.

"Great. Oh and Josh . . ." Kevin said as he started to walk out the door.

"Yeah? Josh asked as he started to zip up his backpack."

"Don't be late, Lyman."


	3. Josh Lyman's New Favorite Hangout: Cabbot's Coffee House

"So you having fun making boat loads of money down there on Wall Street Chris?" Josh inquired into the phone as he tossed his paper plate into the trash and threw away the frozen pizza box.

"Ha. You have no idea how much I have to bust my ass. Following stocks is exhausting and managing accounts is even more exhausting. God help me Lyman, I wish I were in law school, or any kind of school. I miss the bubble. I bet you're enjoying your little bubble. You even get Amy."

"No, you don't want to be in the law school bubble. It's tiring. Same goes with the Amy thing."

"Sounds like your relationship with her is similar to the one I had with her."

"Call it what you want. I've never known what her and I are to one another. It's unclear and it's working just fine. I study law and I hangout with my kind-of girlfriend when we aren't having some kind of falling-out that can last for weeks on end."

"I bet your apartment is bigger than mine. You need to come to New York and visit." Chris had the ability to change topics faster than anyone Josh knew.

"I would, but the studying thing takes up most of my time. Maybe over winter break. And yes, my apartment is bigger than yours. It has multiple rooms and probably costs a fraction of what you pay for your two-hundred square feet."

"Well, maybe you're right. If I were in your bubble, I would have to study all the damn time and I'm over that. You keep your life Lyman and I'll keep mine. Just don't bust my balls when you come down here to visit and you see me schmoozing clients."

"DC will have its fair share of schmoozing. So I will give you a pass. But I will bust your balls for having a two-hundred square foot apartment with a murphy bed."

"You would. And don't hate the murphy bed, it's comfortable."

"You actually have one of those? I was joking."

"Yeah, it folds up and then I open my card table and chair and use it as a dining space."

"Wow."

"I'm living the dream Josh."

"So it seems. Anyway, I gotta ya know, go. Study group."

"Oh have fun with that."

"There's coffee, so it won't be too painful."

"Have a cup for me, bye Connecticut."

"Bye Rhode Island."

He probably should have cut the conversation shorter, he was five minutes late getting to the study group at Cabbot's. He weighed his options, he hadn't talked to Chris in a while and wanted to catch up. Punctuality be damned.

He had actually never been to Cabbot's before, but he liked the inside. The place was quaint, but not so small that you felt claustrophobic. You could spread your books out and work. There was a small coffee bar on the other side of the register where people could sit and chat with the baristas. It was actually the first thing you could see when you walked inside and looked straight ahead. There were tables along the windows and a small upstairs loft area. The interior was mainly a glazed pine. It almost looked like a Colorado ski lodge. There were a few couches to sit on by a small fireplace, lots of framed photos on the walls, Yale swag, newspaper clippings. Good lighting too, not those terrible fluorescents.

"I told you not to be late Lyman," Kevin feigned annoyance as he pulled out a chair for Josh from a table in the corner.

"Yeah sorry, phone call."

"Whatever. Go get your coffee and settle in. We got Tort Law for the next few hours."

Josh meandered his way through some tables and made his way to the counter. He was looking down at his wallet and reaching for a $5.00 bill when he heard a friendly voice.

"Hi there, you seem like a guy in need of a coffee."

He looked up and saw beautiful, kind blue eyes and a stunning smile. The kind of smile that put Josh at ease and made him smile right back at her. His hand was still frozen on the $5.00 bill in his wallet. She had quite literally rendered him speechless. Regaining his composure, he thought of something witty to say.

"Well, this is where one would go if they were in fact, in need of a coffee."

"Oh I don't know. A lot of people who are in need of other things come here too."

"Yeah, like what Donna?" He asked, catching a glimpse of her name tag.

"Oh that could be a long list. Hmmm, cookies, bagels, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, danishes, tea . . ."

"So you're telling me it's a carb convention? Where I can get the finest muffins and bagels in all the land."

"That's exactly what I'm telling you . . ." she paused.

"Josh. I'm Josh," he said as he gave her the $5.00 bill.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you Josh."

"Well I just ate a frozen pizza at home, so I think I will pass on the carbs, but I will have . . .

"You ate a frozen pizza?" Donna cut him off. "I hope you cooked it first Josh."

"Ha, ha. You're a riot," he said with a dimpled smile. "Yes, I cooked it, albeit it was still a little ya know . . ."

"Frozen?"

"Yeah, frozen. I ate it anyway. Don't judge."

They stood there for a brief moment, just smiling at each other. Enjoying the easy interaction, a lull from their chaotic day.

"I'm just gonna' have a large coffee Donna."

"K, but this one's on the house, I think you're going to need it, considering your friends are going to reprimand you for taking so long to get your coffee," Donna said as she nodded to the corner where his study group was.

"Yeah well, I was already late tonight so I was already gonna' hear about it."

"Well don't keep them waiting any longer Josh," she said in a matter of fact tone as she returned with the coffee pot and started to fill his cup.

"It was nice meeting you, Donna. Thanks for the coffee."

"You too Josh. And you're welcome. Now go study."

"K," he replied simply with a smile and walked back to his seat.

She was right, they had chided him for how long he took to get a cup of coffee. He let it roll off his shoulders, not allowing it to ruin the good mood that Donna had put him in. If he had to sit here once a week for four hours and discuss the ins and outs of the different types of torts, then he was glad he could look forward to seeing her friendly face.

Around 10:30 he took another break and went back to the counter.

"Coming back to the Carb Convention?"

"Something like that."

"Well we're out of blueberry muffins and the bagels are kind of stale this late at night."

"Ah-kay. Well, just another refill then."

"Coming right up. I'm gonna make it quick so your friends don't yell at you again," she said as she went to grab the coffee pot.

While her back was to him. He noticed a little chalkboard sign next to the register and couldn't help but chuckle when he read it:

Today's Lead Barista is: Donnatella (Donna)

I like: Cows because: I'm from Wisconsin!

I also like: Puppies because: Who doesn't? (and they're fluffy and sweet)

She came back with the coffee pot and filled Josh's coffee cup.

"There ya go. That should hold you over for another couple of hours. When do you switch to decaf?"

"Never. Decaf is a no. And thank you for my refill, Donnatella who likes cows because she's from Wisconsin and likes puppies because who doesn't and they're fluffy and sweet."

"Ahhh, you read my little coffee house bio."

"You got me. Nice cow and puppy drawing." He was impressed, the little drawings were really good.

"Thanks, now go back to your friends. I'm not going to be the reason you get yelled at."

"Donnatella, I like that. It suits you." He said as he ignored her comment, smiled and walked away. He was pretty sure he saw her blush.

Around 2am, the study session was officially over. Nobody wanted to discuss strict liability, negligence, and intentional torts anymore. They had gone way over the allotted time of four hours. Cabbot's was completely empty. Josh could barely focus, he was exhausted. He should have grabbed a third cup of coffee, this one wore off somewhere around the discussion of the elements of negligence.

"Bye Donnatella. Thanks again for the coffee," he said as he threw away his coffee cup.

"Bye Josh. I hope you learned a lot from those books tonight," she said as she peeked around her book, smiled, and waved to him. He smiled back and walked out the front door with his classmates. Cabbot's, he decided, was his new favorite hangout. He stopped just outside to tie his shoe. When he got back up and looked inside, he saw her clearing the array of dishes at their table. He was unbelievably bothered by this, it's 2am, and she's probably exhausted. He was going to remind his asshole classmates to pick up after themselves next time.


	4. Weekly Meetings

After getting home from Cabbot's and dropping his bag in the middle of his living room, Josh immediately passed out on his bed, not bothering to change out of his clothes. He woke up around noon. His first thought as he rubbed his eyes was to the night before. Or to be more accurate, earlier that morning around 2am, "Did she get home okay? Did she live far from Cabbot's?" He wondered to himself. Maybe he should have waited for her instead of walking home with his classmates. Maybe he should stop by for a coffee before his Con Law Class, that way he'd know if she made it home . . . Josh quickly pushed away the thought from his mind. She's a grown woman, she doesn't need someone to check up on her. Of course she got home okay. Still, Josh couldn't help but notice that he found himself excited to see her again. There was just something about her and if he was being completely honest with himself, he knew immediately that he was drawn to her. The first time he saw her and heard her voice, he had frozen in his tracks. He just couldn't figure out why.

He didn't dwell on it too much longer as he caught sight of his Con Law books on his desk, instantly he became hyper-focused on class that afternoon. He was going to get there on time, early in fact. He showered, tossed on his new Mets t-shirt and a pair of jeans, and was out the door with a bagel in hand.

"So should we keep study sessions on Mondays for now?" Linda asked as she took the desk next to Josh. Last night's study group members naturally sat together as students started to filter in to Constitutional Law.

"That works, probably best to meet up after we have Tort class, that way it's still fresh in our minds," Oscar suggested.

"I hate that class," Josh grumbled.

"Well the professor hates you."

Josh didn't respond to Amy's snide comment.

"Strong language, Amy" Phil chuckled.

"I don't hold back."

"No, but you do exaggerate," Josh muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing." Josh wasn't in the mood for this today. He just wanted to sit back and enjoy Con Law, it was after all his favorite class, or so he had decided after only a week of classes. Tort Law sure as hell wasn't his favorite.

The rest of the week went by rather quickly. Class, study, eat, sleep, and repeat. Josh had managed to make it to all his classes on time and received no further wrath from Professor Lawrence. He had made it his study group on time at Cabbot's, admitting to himself that it had absolutely nothing to do with learning Tort law and everything to do with seeing Donna again.

On his way over, he did have a moment of disappointment when the thought occurred to him that maybe she had the night off. He couldn't help but smile when he opened the door and saw her smiling and talking to a customer. He walked right to the counter. She was wearing overalls and she looked adorable. He noticed her chalkboard, anxious to learn something new about her:

Your Lead-Barista is: Donnatella (Donna)

Two Truths and a Lie:

My major is chemistry

I transferred from the University of Wisconsin

I love sitting on the couch and eating takeout

"That's easy. There is no way you are a chemistry major."

"Ahhh, Josh," she said smiling. "I'm wondering if I should take offense to that, do I not look like I can handle chemistry?" She asked as she gave him a glare.

"I uhhh, no that's not what I meant. What I meant was . . ."

"Relax Josh, I'm teasing you," she said with a smile.

"Ohh," he said feeling relieved. "I just figured since you had your nose buried in that book last week and because of your ability to draw puppies and cows so well, that you might be majoring in something like English Lit or Art," he said confidently.

"Both actually," she said beaming. "Wow Josh, I'm impressed. You're really quite perceptive."

"When I want to be, Donnatella," he smirked.

"Well, maybe you should drop out of Law School and go to Detective School instead."

"Someone else is perceptive, I see."

'Only law students stay here until 2am in groups. Med students tend to study by themselves or with a buddy. That and your friend over there talks loud and I heard him say the word Tort like ten times. So what category are you focusing on tonight? Intentional Torts, Strict Liability, or Negligence?" She winked and turned around to get the coffee pot.

"Wow. I'm impressed. Do you study law too? Cuz' ahh, maybe you should."

"Nah just a good memory. Your friend kept repeating those terms last week," she said as she handed him his coffee.

"Kevin's kinda loud when he's trying to memorize things. Thanks for the coffee, I'm paying this time."

"No. This one's on the house too."

"Fine, but you can't keep me from tipping you," he said as he placed $5.00 in her tip jar and walked away. "See you in two hours for a refill Donna."

They had been focusing on Civil Litigation when Josh heard Donna giggle at the counter. Looking up, he saw her and a co-worker using squirt guns on one another. He liked seeing her laugh. "Ughh, Cody not the face not the face!" she begged playfully as she put her hands up to cover her face, but he was being relentless.

"Ugh, trying to study here. Can they possibly shut up. Do your job and refill the coffee or something, don't fucking giggle and draw attention to yourself. So annoying . . ." Amy trailed off as she put her pen in her mouth and turned the page of her textbook.

"Calm down Amy," Josh fired back.

Whatever her response was, Josh didn't hear it. He was watching Donna walk back to the front of the counter and rolling up her sleeves. He saw her push her hair back and stretch her arms in front of her, and he couldn't help but notice a long purple scar on her right forearm. Even from where he was sitting, he noticed it immediately, it stood out, especially against her fair skin. It looked painful and it looked like it was a new wound, trying to heal. "I wonder how she got that?" He thought to himself as concern filled his mind. She must have realized her arm was exposed, as she quickly rolled her sleeves down, opting to feel the wet fabric against her instead of revealing her arm, he noted.

"You're so beautiful, you don't need to hide your scar," he thought to himself. Josh took a moment to refocus. Tort law. That's where his mind needs to be right now, but he just couldn't get there. His mind was on her. He had never felt concern like this before in his life for someone he barely knew.

10:30 rolled around. Josh made his way to the counter. As much as he wanted to ask about her arm, he decided against it. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable. She was clearly trying to cover it up, so most likely, she didn't want to talk about it.

"Donnatella who likes cows, because she's from Wisconsin, and likes puppies because who doesn't, and their fluffy and sweet, who isn't majoring in chemistry, but rather English Lit and Art, which suits her, like her name, is a UW transfer who loves eating takeout on the couch . . . May I please have a coffee refill?

"Joshua, are you trying to impress me with your memory?" She asked while filling his cup.

"Maybe. You impressed me with yours, and thank you for the refill."

"Well, I'm not without my talents and you're welcome," she said with a wink.

"I'm sure you have many talents. I mean look at those cow and puppies you draw."

"Are you gonna get in trouble again for taking too much time getting back to your study session?"

"I rather talk to you . . ." He took a chance at being a little forward.

"Don't tell them that," she said in a playful warning tone.

"You called me Joshua." He said changing the topic.

"You call me Donnatella."

"I like saying your full name."

"Well I like saying yours too."

"Well okay then."

"Okay then."

They grinned at each other and he went back to his table.

Again he got lost in his work. He looked at his watch and realized that the 2am hour was upon them.

"Shit, look at the time," Kevin said staring at his watch. "Thank God class doesn't start for another 12 hours and thank God I don't have to work while I'm in law school. I'd fall over dead," he continued as he packed up his bag.

Josh looked over at Donna. She was sitting patiently at the counter, a different book in hand this week. She was absorbed in it. Her mind was at work, he could tell. She must be enjoying what she's reading, probably analyzing the content for class discussion. He felt bad, she had to balance the class load of two majors and work. He hoped that she only worked one day a week. He was afraid to ask, he didn't want to find out that she was working 40 hour a week. Professor Lawrence was right, not everybody had the luxury of easily affording tuition at an Ivy League University.

He looked around, again they were the last one's there. He noticed his classmates start to get up and leave the table, his booming voice stopped them all right in their tracks.

"HEY! Have some damn common decency and pick up after yourselves. Don't leave your dishes on the table for someone else to pick up." He turned around and walked over to the trash bin, throwing away his empty coffee cup.

"I apologize for my classmates, Donna. You shouldn't have to clean up after them . . . especially at 2am. You deserve to go home and relax."

"Thanks Josh." She said quietly.

"You're welcome. Be safe getting home."

"You too. Bye," she smiled.

"See you next week, I hope." And with that, the best part of his week was over. He would go home and pass out, follow the same routine as last week, until their weekly meeting at Cabbot's rolled around again.


	5. Mondays and Thursdays

"So I think we should change our study group to a different day," Amy said to the group the next day as Con Law was getting started.

Phil was the first to speak up. "Why? This seems to be working just fine for everyone." Josh breathed a sigh of relief. There was no way he wanted to change his Monday nights. And hell, if they did, he would just quit the group and study on his own at Cabbot's. He didn't need his classmates help anyway. He had a knack for understanding different areas of law, it came naturally to him. "Like father like son," he thought.

"Actually, I was going to see if you guys wanted to start studying two nights a week. Keep Mondays and add Thursdays? Our Contracts class is a little tricky, so a Thursday review would be helpful," Linda suggested as she looked around to gage the temperature of the group.

"That's perfect. I'm all for that," Phil and Kevin chimed in together.

"Ugh okay fine. But does it have to be at Cabbot's?" Amy asked, starting to sound annoyed.

"Ha! Yes, yes it does," Oscar quickly replied. "I love their coffee, and if I'm stuck reviewing Tort law, then I'm getting good coffee. I swear to you all that if you change venue, I quit this group," Oscar threatened.

"Oh don't you worry, we're staying at Cabbot's," Kevin said matter of factly, with no room for arguing.

"Fine, will keep going to the damn coffee house," Amy snapped as she spun around to face the front.

Josh knew her motives. She didn't want him talking to Donna.

"So this Thursday then?" Linda asked.

"Absolutely," Josh, Kevin, Phil, and Oscar all agreed.

Thursday rolled around and he was nervous walking down the street to Cabbot's. Was she going to be there on Thursdays? His question was answered not seconds later when he walked in the door and saw her behind the counter. He immediately felt at ease and was happy knowing that he would be able to see her twice a week. However, he also hated knowing that she probably worked more than two shifts per week to help pay her way through school.

"Lyman. Joshua David Lyman. You said you liked saying my full name, now you actually know my full name," he told her as he made his way to the counter, giving her a full dimpled smile.

"What are you doing here Joshua David Lyman?" She asked mischievously, tilting her head to the side. "You must be a law student here, your sweatshirt says so . . ." she said teasingly.

"Yeah it's a little chilly tonight, and it's this or my Harvard sweatshirt, but I didn't think that would go over too well here," he chuckled.

"Mmmm looks comfy and warm," she said as she tried to stifle her yawn, her eyes fluttering.

"You're tired tonight, huh?" He asked. His voice laced with concern.

"A little. Wednesday and Thursday are my long days."

"Maybe I buy you a coffee tonight?" He said, almost in a whisper.

"You're sweet, but I get all the free coffee I want. Here let me get your cup ready."

He was glad to see that she at least looked comfortable, a baggy flannel with black leggings, or whatever it was that girls wore that look like tights but weren't tights.

"Thanks Donna . . ." he paused to look at her chalkboard, "who would choose invisibility as her superpower," he grinned as he saw a drawing of a woman in a superhero outfit. "But I'm coming in twice a week now. You gotta let me pay at least once."

"I do? Who says?" She challenged.

"Me."

"You?"

"Yeah."

"Nah, on the house."

"Fine, then $5.00 in your tip jar."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

"Oh," he said before he put the $5.00 in. You only get the tip if you tell me your whole name. I told you mine."

"You volunteered that information."

"Donnnnnnna." He whined. "I wanna' know your whole name."

"Oh you're whiny on Thursdays, Mr. Lyman."

"I'm withholding the funds until I find out."

"Fine. Now go study your group's here . . . You studying contracts like that group over there?" She pointed with her pen.

"Actually, yes. Those are some classmates."

"Go learn."

9:30 rolled around and by then the two groups had connected their tables. The study session had become more of a get to know your classmates session. That was fine by Josh. He could use the break and really didn't need that much of a review for his Contract class.

"Mark here has a crush on the barista . . ." Someone in the group said. That caught Josh's attention.

"Shut the fuck up Keith."

"Well it's true. You oogle her every time we're here. Not that I blame you, she's hot."

Josh started to feel the blood course through his body, his heart pound. He was possessive, he'd admit it. He didn't want to hear about any of his classmates romantic, sexual, or lustful feelings towards Donna. He took a deep breath, maybe they were talking about another barista.

"She's just so sweet and nice and those big blue eyes . . ."

Okay they were definitely talking about Donna.

"She give you free coffee?" Oscar asked.

"No. Why would she?" Mark replied.

"Is there some kind of free coffee deal?" Keith asked the group.

"No, I was just curious," Oscar said. And while the rest of the group were having their own conversations, Oscar looked at Josh and winked.

"I'm the only one she gives free coffee to," Josh said to himself and smiled.

Thirty minutes later, Josh was ready for his second cup. He was ready to badger Donna again about her name. When he got to the counter though, he noticed her head was on the counter, resting on her arms, on top of a book she had been reading. She was asleep.

"Don't wake her up." The other barista yelled in a whisper tone while walking up to Josh to refill his coffee. "She's absolutely exhausted tonight. She's here all the time and never takes a break. I'm letting her take a power nap. Mr. Cabbot would completely understand. Donna's his favorite."

Josh just smiled and took off his sweatshirt. He gently tucked it under her cheek, careful not to wake her. She stirred for a moment, making a quiet whimper that only Josh could hear. It tugged at his heart. When his hand made contact with her cheek, he felt a warm sensation pass through him, a sensation he had never before felt in his life. "Thanks for the coffee," he quietly said to the other barista as he walked back to his table.

"Great. Lyman's gonna get points with Donna. He gave her his fucking sweatshirt," Mark groaned.

Josh rolled his eyes, he was hoping his actions had gone unnoticed.

"Oh that's real professional. Falling asleep during your shift," Amy snickered.

"She's tired, leave her alone. The other barista's doing fine on his own," Oscar stepped in.

"Still shouldn't fall asleep on the job . . ." Keith piped up.

"You would fall asleep too if you had to be here until 2am Keith, never mind the demands of class too."

"Oscar, I've never seen her here until 2am. Our group finishes our study session at 11."

"Hold on." Josh interrupted. "What time does Cabbot's close?"

"11pm, but Mr. Cabbot always has the closing Lead Barista stay until the last customers leave. He has a policy where his baristas can't tell customers that the cafe is closing, customers are welcome to stay as late as they want. but they can't buy anything after 12am," Mark explained.

"Oh my God," Josh said as he put his head down and briskly ran his hands through his hair. He looked up and pointed at Kevin, "You said Cabbot's doesn't close! Every time we've come here, we've left at 2am, and poor Donna's been stuck here because of us!" He was furious. It was their fault she was so tired.

"Relax Josh. I just meant they never close as in we can leave when we want. We've only been coming here for 2 weeks, she's only had to stay until 2am twice."

"That's not the fucking point! Have some consideration for other people for crying out loud!" Josh took a deep breath and ran his palms along his cheeks. Once he had collected his thoughts, he took a deep breath and proposed a solution. "Alright here's what we are gonna' do. We get here at 6pm instead of 8pm on Mondays and Thursdays. We are out of here by 11pm at the latest, that's five hours. If that's not enough time to figure out Tort law and Contracts, then maybe you need to drop out of law school." Josh left no room for argument.

"That's fair," everyone in the group agreed one by one, not making eye contact with Josh. Even Amy, despite the fact that she had to add her suggestion of studying at someone's apartment or the library instead.

"It's 10:15 and no one else is here. We're done for tonight. If people want to keep studying, go somewhere else for the rest of tonight. I'm not going to remind you about picking up after yourselves either. See you Monday," Josh finished saying as he collected his backpack and walked over to the other barista.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea about your closing policy. I feel like an asshole."  
"Oh don't worry about it. We've had people stay until 5am before."

"We won't be staying past 11 moving forward. Can I take her home?"

"No, let her sleep. I'm going to clean up for another 45 minute or so. I will wake her up and take her home then. She's done a lot for me, I'd like to return the favor."

"K, can you tell her Josh said bye and to get some sleep this weekend?"

"Sure Josh."

"Thanks," he said as he turned to throw his coffee cup out. He took two $5.00 bills out of his wallet and placed them in the tip jar; he was capitulating on his earlier agreement with Donna. He would never withhold a tip from her. Turning to leave, Josh was surprised to see that Oscar was waiting for him by the door. He realized that Oscar was the first friend he made among his law school classmates and they were likely going to navigate the next three years together.

"You realize you're probably not going to get your sweatshirt back, right?" Oscar asked Josh as he chuckled a little.

"Yeah, I know. It's okay," Josh said with a smile as they walked down the street.


	6. Blame it on the Carb Convention

Thank you all so much for your kind comments! I'm so happy that you are enjoying this AU story!

Josh had gone home that weekend. It was important to his parents that he be home for the start of Rosh Hashanah, especially since it would be difficult for him to make it home for Yom Kippur as it was during the middle of the week. He went to Temple with his parents and joined them and some family friends for the Rosh Hashanah Seder. He ate the Challah bread, the apples dipped in honey, the matzo ball soup, and the chocolate pomegranate brownies, but he gave the fish and beet salad to Buster. Noah gave Josh a warning look, but luckily Miriam Lyman didn't notice her son feeding part of his dinner to their dog. Lucky for Josh, she just assumed he ate everything. Noah on the other hand, had to swallow the beet salad. Like his son, he wasn't much of a fan of beets. After dinner and watching the Mets game, he drove back to his apartment, not wanting to run the risk of being late for Tort Law the next day.

As he lay in bed that night, he reflected on his decisions of the past year and how he could improve in the new year. His parents had asked him this on the way home from Temple. All he could do was give them a generic answer about doing well in law school, which was unbelievably important to him and his future political career. Yet as he drifted off to sleep, all he could think about was how knowing Donna made his new year infinitely better.

Cabbot's was much busier at 6pm, but Josh was still able to get his study group's usual table. He took the liberty of combining two tables together, since the two Thursday study groups would be partnering up on Monday's now for Tort Law. He had gotten there early so that he could see Donna and spend a little more time with her and not have to worry about his classmates watching him. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he made his way up to the counter.

"You know what's funny Josh?" She said as she started to pour his cup of coffee. "When I passed out last Thursday, I woke up with a comfy and warm sweatshirt under my cheek," she said as she handed him his cup. "I wonder where that came from?" She asked, giving him a wink.

"Got me. I don't hand out sweatshirts to anyone unless I know their full name. A piece of information that you continue to deny me, Donnatella." He was bringing the banter, and happy to see that she looked refreshed and well rested.

"Well, I apologize for passing out at work. It's my job to entertain you while getting you a second cup of coffee. I didn't hold up my end of the deal. But you can blame it on the Carb Convention, I had a delicious chocolate chip croissant and blueberry muffin and it put me in a food coma. Passing out was inevitable, there was nothing I could do."

"Ahh, well that explains everything. Although, from what I understand, we can't just blame it on the Carb Convention. Our study group had been keeping you up kinda' late. I'm sorry about that, Donna."

"You don't need to be sorry Josh, it's law school, you need to study."

"Yeah, but not on your time. You could have been home relaxing or sleeping, instead you had to sit here and wait around for us. You looked exhausted Thursday . . ."

"Oh so you're saying I looked bad?" She was teasing him, she couldn't resist the urge.

"What? No. I didn't say that. You looked beautiful, just tired."

"Oh so you think I'm beautiful, Josh?" She asked, continuing to give him a hard time.

"What? Umm, what I meant was . . . You see the thing is . . ."

"JOSH!" Came Kevin's booming voice. "Stop bothering Donna, and get over here."

"Umm, I gotta go and ya know . . ."  
"Learn Tort Law-I know," Donna answered, smiling.

"I will be back for my refill."

"I know you will."

He smiled, thanked her for the coffee and started to walk away, but not before Donna affectionately said to him, "L'shanah tovah, Joshua. And thank you, for the sweatshirt."

He beamed at her and mouthed "Thank you and you're welcome." He had promised his mom that he would wear his kippah for Rosh Hashanah, and that he wouldn't remove it until this evening at sunset. Donna had noticed, and wished him a good year. He had never heard the words sound sweeter.

"So can we go over again why violent threats over the phone are not considered assault?" Someone from the group asked.

"Because the threat isn't imminent," Josh answered.

"Thanks. Guys can we take a break for a few? My head is spinning." The same group member asked.

"Works for us", everyone collectively grumbled as they started to stretch and get out of their seats.

"Product liability, chapter nine when we come back from break?" Linda asked as she started to walk away from the table.

Everyone looked at one another until Kevin answered with a thumbs up.

"So I'm gonna do it, Keith." Mark said with a confident grin on his face.

"What?" Keith asked.

"What? What do you mean what? I'm gonna ask Donna out."

Josh's eyebrows shot up. He didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Get out. No your not."

"I totally am. I ran into her at the grocery store this weekend, and we kinda' hit it off . . ."

Now Josh really didn't like where this conversation was going.

"What do you mean hit it off?" Keith curiously inquired.

"Well, I ya know saw her in the baking aisle, and I asked her what kind of cookies she was going to make and she said peanut butter chocolate chip . . ."

"Is that it? Is that all the conversation was?"

Josh started to relax a little, it didn't really sound like Mark and Donna had hit it off. Sounds like a customer ran into a barista at a grocery store and asked her about cookies and Keith's reaction seemed to reinforce Josh's conclusion.

"Yeah pretty much."

"K, man. Well, good luck."

"Thanks Keith," Mark said as he stood to get in line at the counter. Josh quickly followed, he knew he wouldn't be able to relax until he knew for sure that there would be no date.

"Hi Donna," Josh heard Mark say as he hung back a little bit in line.

"Hey Mark," Donna said cheerfully. "Ready for your refill?"

"Umm yeah, please."

Donna smiled and took his cup. She was being friendly and polite, but not making any additional conversation.

"Thanks Donna."

"You're welcome, Mark. Good luck with the rest of your studying."

"Thanks, it's Tort law. We're gonna work on Product Liability. Umm, how did the cookies turn out?

"Oh, just fine. I shared them with my Shakespeare class. They were gone in five minutes."

"Do you maybe umm, want to get together sometime. Maybe dinner and then we could bake more cookies for your class?"

Josh waited with baited breath for her answer.

"Umm, no thank you Mark. That's really sweet of you to ask though."

Josh let out a sigh of relief, only to be holding his breath again as Mark asked more questions.

"Oh, okay. What about if we go out as just friends? Maybe ya know, get to know each other . . ."

"Mark," she paused and smiled, although Josh could tell she was getting uncomfortable with the situation. "I'm just really busy right now, and I just transferred here. Dating isn't part of my plan.

"Well it wouldn't be a date, it would be two friends . . ."

"She's not interested pal. Read between the lines, she's letting you down easy," came the other barista's voice.

Josh was glad someone else said it, because he was about to.

"Oh, okay. Sorry if I pushed. Thanks again for my refill," Mark said as he blushed with embarrassment and walked away quickly from the counter.

"Thanks Cody, but I was trying to let him down gently. He seems like a nice guy, I'm just not interested."

"Yeah that much was clear," Cody said as he whispered something in Donna's ear, causing Donna to instantly blush and playfully push the other barista away. "Stop analyzing me and my love life, Cody!"

"That's what Psych majors do, Donna."

Josh couldn't help but wonder what Cody had whispered to make Donna blush. She had turned Mark down, clearly not interested, and Josh was relieved about that. But was she dating this Cody guy? He was set on driving her home the other night, whispering in her ear just now, telling Mark off, they did work together, and Donna had also told Mark that dating wasn't part of her plan . . . Josh stopped himself from going any further with those thoughts. He shouldn't be focused on this. He's here to study, here to grind through law school and get to DC. He shouldn't be focused on feelings that were overwhelming him. The feelings that stirred every time he looked at her, every time he heard her voice, every time he thought about her. What was it about her that he was so drawn to?

"Just gonna stand there Josh? Or are you getting a refill?" She asked as she gave him a dazzling smile. "Damn it, the feelings are back," he said to himself, but he couldn't help his smile.

"Is that anyway to talk to your customers Donnatella?"

"Nah, I just talk to you that way."

"Oh, so I'm special then?" He asked.

"Where's your Kippah, Joshua?"

"Oh, I took it off after sunset. I promised my mother I would wear it, but only until sunset." Wow, she could change subjects faster than his Harvard roommate, he thought.

"Too bad, you looked cute with it on."

"So I don't look cute with it off?" He asked mischievously.

"I didn't say that . . ." she trailed off as she went to refill his coffee.

"Thanks for my refill. Umm, can I get a blueberry muffin too? Ya know, Carb Convention and all . . ."

"That depends. Did you eat your gefilte fish for Rosh Hashanah?"

"Errr no. I shared my traditional Jewish dishes with Buster, our family dog. Turns out Buster likes gefilte fish, so I gave him all of mine."

"Hmmph,"

"Hmmph? What does that mean?"

"It means I don't think you deserve your portion of the Carb Convention if you weren't a good Jewish boy and ate all of the meal that was probably lovingly prepared by your mother."

"Donnnnnna, come on . . ." Josh whined.

"I will give you some carrot sticks instead."

"No. Donna, I NEED carbs. I'm hungry, I didn't eat dinner."

"Joshua, why didn't you eat before you came here?"

"Because, we changed our schedule to study at 6pm and I just didn't . . ."

"You just didn't prepare, did you?"

"No, I didn't prepare."

"So now you think you can get away with a muffin for dinner?"

'Well, it's a Carb Convention muffin, the finest muffin in all the land, so I figured it would be okay for dinner," he said as he gave her a dimpled smile. It was his last card he had to play.

"Fine. The only blueberry muffin left is the one I'm currently eating. You can have half of that and half of my carrot sticks. I won't charge you. Take it or leave it." She wasn't backing down.

"Fine. Gimme half the muffin and the carrot sticks."

"Okay!" She said happily, clearly pleased with the outcome of their banter.

"I want the top half Donnatella!"

"No Josh that's the best part. I will cut it vertically down the middle."

"Fine, he muttered."

"No second refill unless you finish those carrot sticks."

"Donnnnna!" he whined.

"Go study, Josh."

The rest of the study session focused on Product Liability. By 11, everyone was ready to pack it in, especially Mark. Keith had held back from giving him too much guff about being turned down by Donna. Probably just giving Mark a chance to lick his wounds. Mark probably wouldn't have been too happy to hear that Donna split his blueberry muffin with him. When Linda asked Josh why he only had half a muffin, he saved Mark any heartache by telling everyone that he stuffed his face with half the muffin before he sat back down. No one questioned him, but Oscar knew. He threw Josh a wink and then looked over in Donna's direction as she happily ate her half of the muffin.

"Josh, it's only 11, you wanna come over?" Amy asked, actually she almost purred. He knew what she was really asking.

"No. I need to study." That was a lie, it wasn't that Josh needed to study, it's that he much rather banter and talk with a beautiful blonde barista at Cabbot's for a few more minutes.

"Really Josh? You need to study? We just sat here for five hours and went over the material," she was pissed, he could tell.

"Josh and I are studying. Recapping on negligence," Oscar added.

"Oh," she seemed to believe this. "Fine, whatever. But I don't know why you need to focus on it."

"We aren't all as smart as you, Amy. Some of us need to look at the material just a little longer," Josh added to get her off his back.

"Fine Josh," she snapped, walking out quickly to catch up to Kevin, Phil, and Linda.

"Wow, Oscar you are really perceptive, thanks for stepping in."

"No problem, you seemed uncomfortable."

"Ahhh-kay. How could you tell?" Josh didn't really want people knowing when he was uncomfortable. If he was going to make it in professional politics, he needed to always look like he was on his game.

"Don't worry about it Josh. I read people, I'm good at profiling. So go relax for a few minutes and unwind by talking to your buddy over there," Oscar said as he looked at Donna and waved.

Needing no further instruction, Josh approached the counter, hand in his pocket, backpack slung over his shoulder, coffee cup in his other hand.

"You finish the carrots?"

"Yes, I finished them," Josh said chuckling. "May I please have a refill for the walk home?"

"K, you held up your end of the deal. Gimme your cup."

He handed her his empty cup and their fingers lightly touched. Josh felt that familiar warm sensation flow through him, just like the one that had coursed through him last Thursday. He remembered how his hand had barely brushed her cheek as he slid his sweatshirt under her head. Donna looked at him and smiled as she returned with a full refill of coffee, along with one for Oscar.

"I meant what I said earlier Josh . . ." she began slowly.

"You talk a lot Donnatella, what did you say earlier? He asked, giving her a hard time.

"That you don't need to be sorry about staying here until 2am, you're in law school," she responded, ignoring his playful dig.

"Donna that's kind of you but 2am is way too late to stay here."

"Yeah it is, but . . . I get to spend more time with you and I like our talks," she said quietly as she gave him a shy smile and looked down at her shoes.

He didn't think he could ever look or feel happier than he did in that moment. "Well if I have to stay here until 2am, then I'm glad it's with you . . . I like our talks too Donnatella." And then he added in a serious tone, "But I would rather have them when you aren't exhausted and overworked. So no more 2am study nights here."

"That's fair," she said lightheartedly.

"Oh hey before I leave, lemme' see your chalkboard. I didn't see it on the counter."

She grabbed it from the floor and handed it to him. It must have fallen during her shift at some point.

"No way."

"Yes way, Josh."

"I don't believe you."

"Well, too bad it's true!" And that was the first time he saw her pout. It unraveled him, he was powerless against that look on her face. He would probably give her anything she wanted if she used that pout on him.

"You're gonna have to prove it to me."

"No. I shared my blueberry muffin with you, I don't owe you anything else," she said in a playful, yet defiant manner.

"Oh yes you do. You owe me your full name, Donnatella. I gave you mine, remember?"

"Yes, I remember. But I love how much you squirm, not knowing my whole name. You shouldn't have given yours up so easily, now you don't have any bargaining chips."

"Pleaseeeee?" And then he laid on the dimples- full force. If he was going to have to deal with her pout, then she was getting the dimples all day long.

"Ugh fine, Joshua." She paused and then continued, "Well you read the chalkboard, do your part."

He had read it indeed. It had simply said:

Get to know your Lead Barista Donnatella! (Donna)

I speak fluent Italian, ask me to translate something!

"Donnatella, can you please translate the following sentence for me in Italian: Josh Lyman is my favorite customer. I should tell him my full name, which is Donnatella . . ." He paused, waiting for her response.

She finally relented, "Josh Lyman e il mio cliente preferito. Dovrei dirgli il mio nome completo, che e Donnatella." She smiled at him and blushed.

Josh didn't care that she still didn't give him her full name. He was stunned speechless. Hearing her talk to him in Italian, listening to her lilt, he didn't think it would affect him so much, but God did it ever. He felt that familiar wave course through him.

"Wow, impressive Donna." Those were the only words he could find.

"Your turn."

"My turn?"

"Yeah. I spoke to you in Italian, so maybe you should say something to me in Hebrew."

"I don't know very much, not nearly enough to make this a fair game."

"It's okay Josh, I just want to hear a little bit," she said quietly.

He thought for a moment, then one phrase, one particular phrase came to his mind, "Ani l'dodi, v'dodi li . . . My parents say it to each other," he said almost shyly.

"I like how it sounds when you say it."

"It's not as nice sounding as your Italian . . ."

"Sure it is Josh," she said as she placed a gentle hand on his arm. "What does it mean?"

"It means I am my beloved, and my beloved is mine," he said softly, enjoying the feel of her hand on his arm, hoping that she was feeling the same electricity that he was feeling.

"That's beautiful Josh." She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Nicole Moss."

"Hmmm?"

"Donnatella Nicole Moss, that's my full name, Josh."

He smiled, "Now that's beautiful."


	7. No Blueberry Muffins for Dinner

Hi there! I'm new and still figuring the website out, lol. I had posted Chapters 5 + 6 within 24 hours of one another (both published on 10/3/18), so Chapter 6 was never moved to the top of the updated stories/new stories list. Moving forward, I will make sure I wait 24 hours, sorry for any confusion! So if you haven't read Chapter 6 yet, enjoy Chapters 6 + 7, and if you have read Chapter 6, enjoy Chapter 7! And thank you all so much for your comments and/or story follows! :)

Thursday rolled around quick. Now that it was week four at Yale Law, the class material was becoming more challenging and the reading assignments had almost doubled in length. Josh was determined to stay on top of his studies. He was so busy burying his head in his textbooks, that he didn't think of much else. He had tunnel vision, that is until he realized it was Thursday and Thursday meant study group, and study group meant Cabbot's, and Cabbot's meant Donna.

Josh arched his back in his desk chair, hearing little popping noises as he stretched. He had been sitting there since he got home from his Contracts class almost three and a half hours ago. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times to refocus. Study group started in fifteen minutes, and he hadn't eaten anything for dinner yet. Hell he hadn't even had lunch. Josh couldn't help but smile when he thought about Donna giving him an earful for not planning better, and chiding him for trying to get away with eating a pastry for dinner. He quickly threw on his navy blue sweater, swung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed out the door.

Walking into Cabbot's, Josh was disappointed to see that she wasn't there. He sighed and slumped into a chair at the usual table, folding his arms and leaning his head back against the window. Realizing that he was going to really need several coffees to get through tonight, Josh traipsed up front to order from the unfamiliar barista. When he got there, he couldn't help but look at the chalkboard.

Hi! My name is Sean and I'm your Lead Barista! Have you tried our awesome bran muffins?

Josh arched his eyebrows. "Why would I try bran muffins? Bran muffins and awesome don't belong in the same sentence . . . Donna would have a fun drawing or some kind of fun fact. And are all her co-workers guys? Better not be a bunch of gomers hitting on her. Mark's a dumb gomer . . ." Josh said to himself.

"Hi welcome to Cabbot's. Hold on one sec," Sean said to Josh, barely acknowledging his presence. "Hey Cody! Cody! Cody when's Donna finished with her physical therapy or doctor's appointment or whatever!?"

Josh couldn't hold back his thoughts. "You want to say that a little louder there pal? You think everyone in Cabbot's heard you?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Ummm . . ." was all Sean could say. Josh had clearly caught him off guard.

"That's her private business. Do you really think she wants everyone knowing that she's at physical therapy or the doctors?" Josh asked quietly but in a sharp tone.

"She will be here soon. You can leave when she gets here Sean. Hey Josh, coffee?" Cody asked as he came around the corner.

"Ohh, umm I have like a thing I need to go to. There's a band playing . . ."

"You know what? Just go Sean," Cody said as he cut him off. As Sean walked away, Cody looked at Josh, rolling his eyes and shaking his head, "I get more done without that guy here anyway."

"I can believe that, and yes a coffee please Cody. Oh and a blueberry muffin. Looks like there's one left and it has my name on it."

"Donna said you can't have a blueberry muffin for dinner, Josh. She told me to tell you that. She called about three hours ago letting us know she was going to be late tonight, some kind of appointment she got last minute, but she was really adamant about the blueberry muffin."

Josh chuckled. "She just wants the last muffin for herself. Fine, I will take a buttered croissant instead. Go ahead and charge me for the muffin too though, and umm give it to Donna when she gets here. "

"You don't want a bran muffin? According to Sean, they're awesome." Cody said as he pointed to Sean's chalkboard, rolling his eyes. Josh couldn't help but laugh.

"I think I'm all set, Cody."

"Yeah , bran muffins are disgusting."

Walking back to his seat, Josh addressed the concern that had been filling his mind since he heard Sean rather loudly mention Donna's personal business. Was she okay? What kind of appointment was it? Was it for her arm? Was she in physical therapy to strengthen it? He thought back to the scar he had seen. Was she in pain? These were all questions he was asking himself as he opened up his Contracts class textbook.

"No Donna today?" Oscar quietly asked Josh as the group was going over the four elements of a valid contract. Josh really wasn't paying attention to the study group, his head was in a fog. The more he thought about Donna, the more worried he became. His brain was on overdrive and he was exceptionally tired, so that didn't help. He had come to the conclusion that her reason for seeing a doctor must have been pretty serious if it was a last minute appointment. She wouldn't be late for her shift unless it was important.

"She's coming in late. Should be here soon." Josh said cheerfully, but without going into detail. His mood had drastically improved when he found out that Donna would be working after all, but his concern for her made him wonder if she should be at home resting instead of at Cabbot's.

Not ten seconds later, Donna walked through the front door, wearing an olive green jacket and a little gray beanie hat, with a large casserole looking dish under her arm. It wasn't lost on Josh that many of the patrons smiled at her and said hello. Of course she was well-liked, "How could you not like Donna?" He thought to himself. He was also happy and relieved to see that she looked healthy and vibrant. Maybe the doctor's appointment wasn't as serious as he thought after all.

"Ugh, for God's sake, is she like holding court or something? Everyone stops what they're doing just to say hi to the barista who walked in. I don't see what the big deal is. There is absolutely nothing special about her," Amy remarked tactlessly as she continued to write her notes.

Josh was about to go off on her, but had better things to do. Instead, he silently got up and walked over to Donna, but leave it to Oscar to piss Amy off. "Hi Donna!" Oscar shouted happily from his seat and waved enthusiastically. He then followed up by telling the group, "If she's "holding court" as you called it Amy, then I will go every time."

"Oh for fuck's sake," Amy grumbled.

"So, Donnatella Moss. I'm curious about your lovely name, ya know a beautiful Italian first name and a nice Irish last name . . ."

She smiled and tilted her head to the side, "Mom's Italian and Dad's Irish. You get all the benefits of that, Josh Lyman."

"Oh yeah? And what benefits are those?"

"You get to experience my Irish wit and my Italian spirit."

"I like both."

"So I heard just now that you tried to order a blueberry muffin for dinner . . ."

"Ummm . . . I was going to, but then I didn't, but I bought you one, I ate a croissant, and uhh it was good . . ." He was rambling.

"Joshua, Josh, Josh. Eating a buttered croissant for dinner isn't much better. The Carb Convention isn't a healthy, well-balanced dinner option. I bet your mom would have some rather choice words for you if she knew your eating habits."

He couldn't help the image that came to his mind. Donna and him at his parents house on a Sunday. Donna chatting with his mom, Donna and his mom getting on his case about his food choices, Donna and him sitting on the front porch swing watching the sunset, kissing Donna . . .

"Oh you and my mother together, lecturing me on my eating habits, I wouldn't stand a chance."

"Well, if you don't start eating property, I'm gonna make you give me your parents phone number, and that conversation will happen," she said both as a warning and playfully.

"Well, gimme' some of those carrot sticks."

"I don't have carrot sticks today Josh, I have celery sticks."

"Yuck, I hate celery."

"Well, lucky for you, I brought you something."

"Oh you got me a present, Donnatella?" He asked as he peeked over the counter.

"Something like that." She opened a refrigerator and took out the casserole dish he had seen her come in with.

"This should hold you over for a little while. Another benefit you get, my Italian cooking."

Josh peered under the tinfoil, and saw a delicious looking lasagna.

"It's a four cheese lasagna, no meat. I wasn't sure if you kept kosher or not, so I . . ."

"Donna thank you," he said affectionately as he cut her off. "This is unbelievably thoughtful." Nobody, other than his mom, had ever done something like this for him. Donna cared about his well-being and the fact that she took his Judaism into consideration when making the lasagna meant a lot to him.

"You're welcome Josh," she said as she gave him a dazzling smile. "That's probably five days worth of dinner. When you get home, put two days worth in the fridge and the rest in the freezer."

"K," he said, still beaming at her.

"If you want to get through law school, you need to eat and sleep properly. I'm helping you out with the eating part, but you still need to learn how to plan your meals."

"K," he said again, still smiling.

She grabbed his coffee cup and gave it a refill. "Go study Josh."

"Ahh-kay. Thank you again Donna," he said as he started to walk back to his table.

You're welcome. Oh and Josh?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for my blueberry muffin."

"Well it's no fancy Italian cooking, but you are very welcome."

"What is that you got there, Joshua?" Kevin asked as Josh rejoined the group.

"Food." Was all Josh said. He was going to shut this conversation down as quickly as possible. He was about to get an earful from Mark, Keith, and/or Amy, and he'd really had it with the three of them.

"Cool. Now that Josh's back, let's talk about element number three for an essential contract," Oscar instructed, steering the conversation away from Josh's lasagna.

Everyone began to settle back into discussing the material, even Keith and Mark, but Amy took the opportunity to strike.

"Oh element number three, that's an intention to create a legal relationship. Josh, is that little snack you have there proof of Donna's intention to create a relationship with you?" Amy asked in a biting tone.

The table went quiet. Keith and Mark put the piece together, realizing Donna had made Josh dinner. Oscar muttered something that sounded like "Oh Dios mio" and shook his head, Kevin just leaned back in his chair enjoying the show, and Linda and Phil looked surprised, but in a good way. The rest of the cohort just sat there not caring about the lasagna, they were looking to continue with studying.

"So she's Betty Crocker too, huh Josh?"

"Just drop it Amy. We aren't here to discuss my personal life, we're here to study. Now can we please do that?" Josh asked in a terse tone. He was beyond pissed at Amy. He was tired of her disrespectful and off-handed comments about Donna. It had gone too far and he wanted to say something to shut Amy up, but he didn't want to make a scene and embarrass Donna.

"Well Josh, seeing as how you are always fawning over her when you go up there, I would say we're allowed to discuss your personal life, since you can't seem to keep it separate from our study group."

At that point Oscar jumped in again, "Let's go to the back of the book and figure out which of these scenarios are evidence of a valid contract. I would like to pass the bar in three years. So Amy if you don't mind . . ."

Much to Josh's delight, everyone lost interest in what Amy was saying and focused on studying instead. He had never been more happy to have a cohort that was serious about doing well in law school.

Again, Josh found himself losing interest in studying and focusing on Donna. Being honest with himself, he knew that he had studied hard earlier that day so that he could zone out during study group, and spend more time with Donna. The concern he had for her earlier reared itself again around 9pm when he noticed that she kept rubbing the back of her neck with an ice cube and closing her eyes. She also kept playing with her hair, like she was uncomfortable with it touching her neck. She didn't look like she was feeling so well, even from where he was sitting he could see she looked flushed. She finally gave up with her hair, and Josh noticed how she grabbed a blue scarf from her bag and wrapped it around her neck. He saw her wince as she finished putting the scarf on. All he wanted to do was go over there and check on her. She was clearly in pain, but what was it exactly? "A pulled muscle in her neck wouldn't make her flushed, would it?" He wondered to himself.

Just then, Cody approached Donna and must have asked her a question, as she nodded her head in agreement and finished putting her hair up in a bun, taking the coffee pot from Cody. Josh forgot about his concerns momentarily, as he took a second to admire how beautiful she looked with her hair pulled back. Her eyes were so blue. He had never seen her with her hair up before. She started walking around Cabbot's with a coffee pot, offering refills to customers. As she got closer to their table, he noticed that she looked like she had a fever, her face looked a little discolored, and he could tell from where he was sitting that some of her lymph nodes were swollen. She had gone from looking healthy and vibrant to sick in just a few short hours. Josh was way past concerned now, and was planning to take her home or to the Emergency Room if need be. He started to close up his books and pack his bag.

"Hey guys who would like some more coffee," Donna asked, trying to sound cheerful. Everyone said yes so she started to make her way around the table. Just then, Phil's pen fell to the ground and landed next to Donna's foot. Coffee pot in hand, she slowly and carefully bent down to pick up his pen, her scarf unraveling in the process. And it was at that precise moment that Amy and Linda had walked back to the table from the restroom, they were standing directly behind Donna. And it was at that precise moment that Amy took the opportunity to humiliate Donna.

"Jesus Donna. What the hell happened to your neck!?" Amy asked loudly so that the whole table could hear, clearly feigning concern. "That looks painful and well honestly, infected. How did you get that? Ugh, I can't look, it's well . . . no offense, but it's gross looking. You should probably cover it up if you're working," Amy prattled on. Josh saw the smirk pass across her face.

Donna had since hopped up from grabbing the pen, quickly placing her hand on her neck. "It's nothing, it's . . . it's fine," she began to stammer.

"It's not nothing and it's not fine," Amy spat back.

"Amy stop it!" Josh said sharply.

"I'm fine it's noth- nothing. it's not a big deal . . ."

"That's not nothing, that's an infected incision or scar. You should get it looked at. Seriously, how did you get that?" Amy just wouldn't quit. She had found a window of opportunity and took it.

Josh saw Donna become overwhelmed for the first time ever. He saw her blue eyes fill with unshed tears. It broke his heart. He realized that all he wanted to do was hold her . . . take care of her. But before he could do anything, Donna had offered a weak smile and told everyone to enjoy their coffee as she refused to make eye contact and hurried away, hand still on the back of her neck.

Josh wasted no time and got up from the table to follow her. She was too quick or he was too slow or maybe both, but when he reached the front of the counter she was already behind it walking briskly towards the "Employee's Only" part of Cabbot's. She had by that point taken her hand off her neck to dab at what he assumed were now falling tears, and he got a glimpse of what Amy and Linda had seen. She did in fact, have a long thin purple scar on the right side of her neck, right under her hairline. It looked very similar to the scar on her right arm, but this one was infected. Josh didn't need to be a doctor to diagnose that. He noticed a small open wound in the scar, it seemed to be where the redness was coming from and it was incredibly puffy and inflamed. He noticed a red line going down her neck, making its way through the swelling and past her shoulder blades. Amy had absolutely exaggerated how bad the scar looked just to embarrass Donna, but it did look incredibly painful. It was more than likely the reason for her fever and swollen lymph nodes. He wanted to rub an ice cube over the painful area for her, rub her back to soothe her, gently kiss her cheeks, and kiss away her tears. Something bad had happened to her and she had the scars to prove it. His heart constricted at the thought of her in pain, pain that was for sure from a recent event, an event so recent that her scars weren't healed or even slightly faded.

He wanted to be there for her more than anything and he desperately wanted to help her with whatever it was she was going through. But she had already disappeared from Cabbot's before he could call out to her. Feeling defeated and not wanting to make eye contact with anyone, he stared down at the counter, trying to regain his composure. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her chalkboard:

Hi there!

Just remember, always be yourself. It's okay to be different!

Donna :)

P.S. Fun Fact- My favorite ice cream is chocolate peanut butter! It's delicious and WAY better than bran muffins!

Underneath was a cute little drawing of a monster dog and cat. The cat had Frankenstein scars and the dog had vampire fangs with a cape. They were happily sharing ice cream, and there was a package of bran muffins in a cartoon trash can.

Josh smiled. He loved her little drawing and her message, but he needed her to know that she in no way looked like a monster with her scars. One of these days, he planned on telling her how beautiful she is, that's for damn sure. Now he just needed to find his courage.


	8. The Lyman Men Get Coffee

Over two weeks. It had been over two weeks since Josh had watched Donna disappear from Cabbot's. Seventeen days since he had seen her beautiful blue eyes and her fantastic smile, read a chalkboard update, bantered with her. He missed her, he thought about her all the time. He worried about her constantly. In the past seventeen days, Josh realized his whole plan for law school being his only focus for the next three years went out the window the day he met Donna.

After she had left Cabbot's, Josh had returned to his study group and silently collected his things. He heard Oscar lay into Amy, chastising her for being so awful to Donna, but Josh didn't really comprehend the words, he was in such a haze. All he wanted to do was get out of there and find her. As he walked away from the table, he turned and stared at Amy, "What you did to Donna, is unforgivable. You should be ashamed of yourself." He said nothing else as he walked outside and spent the next two hours looking for her.

The group had kept their regular study session schedule. Josh went, but hardly said a word to anyone other than Oscar. All four study sessions, he hoped that he would walk through the door and see her smiling at him, but he didn't. Cody had told him that he wasn't sure when she was coming back, and that the only information he had from Mr. Cabbot was that Donna was out on medical leave for the time being. Josh had also noticed that several other customers were asking about her, showing their concern. He also noticed that Cody didn't give them any information, only saying that she would hopefully be back to work soon.

His parents had commented on his melancholy when he had gone home for dinner one night. He had said nothing other than he was tired. They accepted his answer, not wanting to push him. Noah and Miriam Lyman knew that their son would talk to them when he was ready, but that didn't stop Noah from dropping in on Josh that following Sunday.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Josh asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping well. His concern over Donna really kept him up at night.

"Hi son, I'm well. Thank you for asking. So is Buster here," Noah Lyman said with a hint of sarcasm. Buster just sat there excitedly, wagging his tail, happy to see Josh.

"Hey pal." Josh greeted Buster as he bent over to pet his happy yellow lab.

"Sorry Dad. Lemme' do this again. Hi Dad, Hi Buster, I'm glad you're both well."

"Much better greeting, Joshua." It didn't matter that Josh was twenty-three years old, Noah and Miriam would always call their son out when they saw fit. He would always be their little boy. Of course, they called Buster out on a great deal too, always joking that he was Josh's "little brother".

They went inside Josh's apartment and into the kitchen. Buster immediately pulling Noah to the slice of cold pizza that Josh had been eating for breakfast.

"Oh, do not tell your mother you were eating that for breakfast, she will have a fit."

"Trust me, I've learned what to tell mom about my eating habits and what she doesn't need to know. Buster can eat that by the way."

"I was going to ask if I could eat it?" Noah asked sheepishly.

Josh lifted his eyebrow and crossed his arms, both men laughed.

"Well, your mom won't let you have cold pizza for breakfast, so naturally, she won't let me have it either. Let me indulge a little here. I will give Buster some crust."

"Okay that's fair."

"Get your mom's casserole dish while I'm here. She'll give me an earful if I forget to get it from you."

"Sure, it's right here," he said handing the dish to Noah. "Tell her the Shepherd's Pie was delicious, but that I still prefer her Matzo Ball soup to anything . . . Oh wait, that's not the right casserole dish, here it's this one," Josh said as he handed him his mom's dish and took Donna's back from his dad.

"Where did you get this other casserole dish Josh? Someone else cooking for you?" Noah asked with peaked interest. He knew his son barely had anything more than a few plates and other assorted dishes in his kitchen.

"Possibly," Josh said, but he couldn't help the smile that came across his face.

"I'm going to need more details than that, son."

"Dad you're almost as bad as mom. Why can't you pry into Buster's life?"

"Buster, as you know, lives at home. We know his every move."

"You want to go get a coffee or something?" Josh asked changing the subject. He wasn't ready to deal with his parents asking him a million questions about his love life. He was just starting to really understand how he felt about Donna, and he wasn't ready to talk about his feelings yet. Everything was so new and meeting her had taken him by surprise. His dad was just going to have to settle for telling his mom that there was a mystery casserole dish in his apartment.

"Sure. But we will be discussing the casserole dish at some point. You can't hide from it," Noah said with a bright dimpled smile as he turned and walked out the door with Buster, Josh following behind as he grabbed his Harvard sweatshirt and locked the door.

"So you're here to see a client?" Josh asked as they walked towards Cabbot's.

"Yeah, she can't make it into the city and we need to continue with the discovery phase. Trial will be here before we know it."

"So you aren't going to settle?"

"Not this one, no. The defense turned our offer down to settle, big mistake. Hey why are you wearing your Harvard sweatshirt? Didn't we buy you a Yale Law one when you got accepted?"

"Oh, umm, it's in the laundry," Josh said rather unconvincingly.

"You didn't bring it home the other night with your laundry . . ."

"I forgot it."

"Why wouldn't it be with all your other laundry?"

"I don't know," Josh had no other response. His dad was doing the lawyer thing, building evidence with the casserole dish and missing sweatshirt. It was only a matter of time before he presented his case to Josh. Luckily, they had just arrived to Cabbot's, so Josh was getting a break from his dad's interrogation. Maybe he could come up with a story while his dad waited outside with Buster.

"You want a drip coffee, right dad? Twenty ounce?"

"Please, Josh. Buster, sit. Good boy."

Josh walked into Cabbot's, he didn't even get his hopes up about Donna being there. Even if she hadn't been out on medical leave, she didn't work Sundays. He would have to settle for one of the coffee house gomers. Except Cody, Cody wasn't a gomer. Cody was okay. Josh looked down into his wallet, but was quickly caught off guard by a sweet familiar voice, repeating the words she had said to him when they first met:

"Hi there, you seem like a guy in need of a coffee." She gave him an incredible smile, the kind that lit her whole face lit up. She looked amazing, absolutely stunning, and happy, he thought. But most of all, she looked healthy again. Her eyes were bright, her skin had the perfect shade of pink to it, her hair was down and shiny. Her infection was one hundred percent gone.

All he could do was smile at her. He felt this wave of happiness hit him, a surge of emotions were pounding at his heart.

"You look amazing," was all he could say.

"You're just trying to get free coffee Joshua."

"I always get free coffee . . ."

"Well, that's true. Maybe you're trying to get free samples from the Carb Convention."

"I'm so glad you're feeling better, Donna." He sounded shy saying the words, as much as he wanted to continue with their banter, he really wanted her to know that he was happy to see that she was feeling better.

"Thank you Josh." They shared a quiet moment together, surrounded by the chaos of a busy coffee house on a Sunday morning.

"I'm actually gonna' have two coffees this morning, Donnatella. My dad is waiting outside with our dog."  
"Buster's here!?" She asked excitedly. "Buster the dog who ate your gefilte fish on Rosh Hashanah? And again, shame on you Josh, your mom made that dinner for you and you didn't eat it."

"I ate a lot of it, just not the fish, Donnnnna," He started to whine. He loved that she remembered Buster, he had forgotten that he told her his name, but she had remembered it. It made him happy and he took it to heart that she took great care to remember the details of their conversations.

"I'm just teasing you Joshua. But here I am getting all excited about Buster and I forgot to mention your dad. That's so nice that he came to visit you."

"Well, I may have been an afterthought. He's visiting a client," Josh said jokingly.

"Still, it's sweet that you spend time with your parents and nice that they are so close to New Haven."

He thought about that for a moment. Her whole family was in Wisconsin, she didn't have the luxury of visiting her family whenever she wanted.

"Yeah, Westport is only thirty minutes from here. Although my mom was a little mad that I didn't come home for Yom Kippur, but she gave me a pass because . . ."

"Because you went home for Rosh Hashanah and wore your kippah until sundown like a good Jewish son?" She asked smiling as she tilted her head. He loved that little trait of hers.

"Something like that. Hey how about we bring the coffees outside and you can meet my Dad and Buster. Think you can sneak away for a few minutes?" So much for his plan of not telling his parents about Donna just yet, but he just couldn't help himself. He wanted to spend more time with her and he realized that he really wanted his Dad to meet her.

"K, I think I can sneak away from the counter."

"Good."

Donna went back to get the coffees. Josh of course, looked for her chalkboard.

Happy Sunday from your Lead Barista, Donna! I hope you are enjoying the beautiful fall weather and watching the leaves change! My favorite thing to do in the fall is to grab a Caramel Macchiato or a hot Apple Cider (both are my favorites, I can't pick just one!) and take a walk in a park, preferably with good company! :) Enjoy your beautiful day and go do something fun!

Throughout the chalkboard, he saw cartoon leaves and a little tree and bench. He was definitely taking note of her favorite drinks and fall activity. "That would be a nice first date," he thought to himself. If only he could figure out how to ask her.

"Okay, here, you take yours and your dad's, I got Buster's," she said handing him the coffees and walking around the other side of the counter.

"Buster gets one?"

"Yeah, it's a cup with some whip cream in it. Some places call it a "Pupachino."

"Oh God, he's going to love that. Oh, let me pay you for the extra coffee."

"No Joshua. If you get free coffee, so does your dad, and obviously Buster."

"K," he said, smiling at her, all sappy-like, he was sure, as she walked past him.

Despite holding two coffees, he still managed to open and hold the door for her. He saw her instantly smile when she saw Buster. He looked pretty excited too, immediately wagging his tail. Josh always knew his dog was a good judge of character.

Josh looked at his dad, who already had a grin on his face.

"Dad, I would like you to meet Donnatella Moss. Donna, this is my Dad, Noah Lyman."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Lyman," Donna said as she gave Noah a warm, bright smile, shaking his hand.

"Oh Donnatella please, call me Noah. It's wonderful to meet you."

"You have quite the son here, Noah."

"Oh which one? The four-legged one or this guy right here? They both give me a hard time in their own unique way."

"Both!" She said laughing, causing Noah and Josh to smile.

"Come here Buster, I have a treat for you!" Donna immediately bent down to give Buster his "drink". "Good boy! It's tasty, isn't it?" She continued to talk to Buster, as he wagged his tail and licked up his treat. "Joshua, I love your dog! Bring him to study group, I won't tell Mr. Cabbot." Buster affectionately placed his head on Donna's shoulder, allowing her to hug him. Josh knew that Buster liked everyone, but he really liked Donna.

"Donna, are you gonna' like Buster more than me?"

"I already do. He's my favorite Lyman brother," she said as she winked at Noah. Noah in turn loved watching his son get all flustered. He could see how much his son cared about Donna. It was written all over him. Noah had seen the instant connection between the two. The way he saw Donna smile at Josh when he had walked into Cabbot's, the way they spoke to one another, the way Josh looked at her. There was certainly a deep affection between the two.

"Donnnnnna," Josh whined.

"Joshua, are you even more whiny on Sundays than Thursdays?"

"Sometimes . . ."

"What did you eat for breakfast?"

"Ummm, cold pizza?"

"JOSHUA!"

"What? It's all I had."

"We talked about this. You need to plan your meals better."

Noah just stood there and watched in amazement. Miriam was going to love this.

"Maybe you can help me plan, Donna?" Out came the dimples.

"Fine," she said, pretending to be frustrated, but quickly following up with a smile.

"K, good."

"Although it might be a few weeks, I have to work the next nineteen days straight, seeing as how I missed seventeen and then the extra two days are days I work anyway. I gotta make up a little time. Coffee shops don't tend to offer paid time off."

"Donna you shouldn't have to work so many days in a row," he said with worry. "You're just starting to feel better."

Noah sensed that he should give the two a little privacy. He knew something was going on with Donna, the way Buster acted around her was the giveaway . . .

"I'm going to take our fearless pup on a little walk Josh. I will be right down this way. Take your time. Donnatella, it was wonderful to meet you. I hope to see you again, soon."

"It was wonderful to meeting you too Noah. I look forward to seeing you again. I think Mrs. Lyman and I should have a talk about Joshua's eating habits . . . Bye Buster!" She said as she waved at him. He of course, wagged his tail and zoomed around in a small circle, continuing to look at Donna.

"Oh, Miriam would love that, Donna. Have a great day."

"You too Noah," she said as she waved goodbye.

Josh and Donna were left alone, looking at one another for a moment, just enjoying the comfort of being together for a few extra moments.

"Donna, nineteen days? That's a lot."

"I know, but I have to work Josh."

He didn't want to overstep. He could easily write her a check for two weeks worth of

work, but he knew that she wouldn't accept it. "Fine. But if you have to work Donna, then I'm coming in to study to keep you company. I can sit at the coffee bar and bug ya. Umm, the first night you have off, you wanna, I don't know, take a walk in the park? I can buy you a Caramel Macchiato or an Apple Cider, we can ahh you know, walk and stuff. Look at leaves, maybe you can train me on the fine art of meal planning."

"Joshua Lyman, are you trying to make your way into my heart by way of my chalkboard?" She asked with a smile.

"Maybe . . ." Dimples were out in full force.

"Saturday, October 19th, it's my first day off Joshua."

"K, reserve that for me. All day. I want all day, cuz uhh you know, it may take a while for me to learn how to meal prep."

"That's probably true. We might even have to carry our date into the night . . . for ummm, training . . ."

"I would probably need all night and day for training, so don't make ANY other plans, k?" Dimples again.

"K," she said, tilting her head.

"So I'm gonna catch up with my Dad and Buster. But what time does the rush here end? Today will be day one of nineteen of Josh Lyman bugging Donna Moss."

"Come in around 2:00. That's prime "bugging your barista time," coffee bar should have plenty of seats too."

"Ahh-kay."

"Oh and Josh, don't wear the Harvard sweatshirt."

"Well someone stole my Yale sweatshirt."

"Someone gave it to me."

"Point taken. I will see you later, Donna."

"Bye Josh. Oh and Josh?"

"Mmmmm?" He said as he turned around.

"I like Buster, but he doesn't have dimples. So you're ya know, still my favorite Lyman brother." She said affectionately.

He slowly walked back to her, they were standing closer than they ever had been. He pointed to his right arm and whispered, "This," he paused to point at the back of his neck, "and this, make you more beautiful, Donnatella. You don't need to hide them."

"Josh," she whispered tenderly.

He smiled, "It's true. You're beautiful, so no more chalkboard drawings of monster Frankenstein cats and vampire dogs, unless it's for Halloween purposes only. See you at 2:00."

They smiled at one another, as she walked back into Cabbot's and he caught up with his Dad and Buster.

Noah had seen the whole interaction from afar. He wasn't trying to intrude, but he couldn't help but watch. He wondered if his son knew he was in love. He wondered if Joshua knew Donna was in love too.

"Joshua. I like that young woman a whole hell of a lot. Don't mess it up."

"I'm going to try like hell not to Dad. Don't ask me to come home Saturday October 19th, I have a date with Donna."

"First date?"

"Yeah," Josh said, putting his hands in his hoodie front pocket, gently moving his foot back and forth across the ground and smiling.

"I'm happy for you son, take it slow, okay?"

"I know Dad."

"I think she's been through a lot Joshua."

He paused to look at his Dad. "How do you know? I never said anything . . ."

"You didn't have to. How much do you know about Buster's background?"

"Uhh, not much. Just that you adopted him when I was a junior in college. Empty nest syndrome . . ."

"He was two when we adopted him Josh. He was trained as a therapy dog, visiting nursing homes, hospitals, places like that. Buster can help lower stress levels, reduce physical pain, help a person feel calm and relaxed, reduce anxiety, provide comfort, lift someone's spirit, and lower blood pressure. He couldn't continue as a therapy dog, because he got too excited and didn't always listen to commands. So he joined our family, but his instincts are still there. He went right to Donna, he wanted to comfort her.

"He's not the only one who wants to comfort her Dad. I just don't want to pry, she can tell me when she's ready and I don't think she's ready to talk about it yet, but I would be lying if I told you I wasn't constantly worrying about her. She was out of work for over two weeks because of an infection she had on a scar. It's on the back of her neck. I just want to help her heal and be there for her. I . . ."

"I know Joshua. I know pal." Noah hugged his son, he knew he needed it. Josh was holding a lot in, and Noah could feel it in the way Josh held on to him.

"Your mother will love her, by the way."

"I know," Josh said with a smile as he let go of Noah.

"So I guess the mystery of the casserole dish and where the sweatshirt went is solved. Tell me Josh, what did Donna make for you?"

He laughed and grinned as they walked back to Josh's apartment. "Four cheese lasagna. Kosher and all."

Noah smiled. "Go study Josh."

"Bye Dad, good luck with your meeting. Give my love to mom. Bye Buster!"

"Thank you and I will. Bye son. Come on Buster say bye to your brother."

"Woof! Woof!" - Buster

"Atta boy."

Noah Lyman walked towards his car. He couldn't help but smile. When he woke up this morning, he never imagined that today he would learn that his son had found his Bashert.


	9. Nineteen Days

Josh was excited. He had a date with Donna. Somehow, through their easy and familiar banter, he was able to find the courage to ask her out. Now, he just had to wait an agonizing nineteen days. Day twenty, which was Saturday October 19th, was circled on his calendar. The silver lining of course, was that he could visit her every day at Cabbot's, although he was absolutely not happy about the fact that she had to work so much. As he walked down the street, that familiar worry he had for her set in. He could only imagine how tired she would be, trying to keep up with two majors, working so many hours, and her infection had barely healed! What if it came back? Should he suggest she wear a bandage or maybe that scarf of hers to cover it up at work to protect it? Josh quickly dismissed the idea. He's not a doctor and he was sure that her doctor would have given her the best instructions. Hopefully she had a really good doctor. "But that scarf really brought out her blue eyes," he thought to himself as he remembered how she looked with it loosely wrapped around her neck with her hair pulled back. She looked beautiful. She always looked beautiful to Josh. He had never been so emotionally and physically attracted to anyone in his life. No one in his past even came close. The only way he could explain it was that he felt drawn to her, right from the beginning-magnetic.

When he got accepted at Yale Law School, he told himself that law school was his main focus for the next three years. Nothing, nothing was going to change that. But she had changed that. She had walked into his life, well actually he had kind of walked into hers, but same thing. He was absolutely determined to succeed in law school, but he realized that didn't mean he had to sleep an average of four hours a night so that he could study twelve hours a day. That wasn't inspiring. But falling in love with the right person? Now that's inspiring. Donnatella Moss inspired Joshua Lyman.

He would wait though. Wait until she was ready. He had no intentions of rushing her. Whatever it was that she went through and is still going through, she needs to heal from that first. Josh planned to be right by her side though, if she let him.

A dark and unsettling thought crossed his mind. Had someone hurt her? "So help me God, if someone hurt her, there will be hell to pay," Josh said to himself.

He pulled himself out of of his brooding thoughts when he found the items in the art store he had just walked into. He paid for all the items and sat outside on the bench, grinning as he began to write. When he finished, he looked at his final product. It wasn't nearly as nice looking as hers, but it would do. He carefully placed it in his backpack and walked to Cabbot's.

When he arrived, he noticed that it was far more quiet than when he had arrived earlier that morning to get coffee for him, his dad, and a doggy coffee pupachino thing for Buster. Donna was right, 2pm was a good time to get a good seat at the coffee bar. He took a seat right near her chalkboard. He smiled at the picture and laughed.

Good afternoon coffee and tea lovers!

Did you know that we sell pupachinos for your fur babies? Buster had one this morning and gave it a 10/10!

Right below her message was a drawing of Buster, sitting with his tail set off the side mid wag, his little dog collar prominently said "BUSTER", he had what looked like whipped cream all over his nose, and a little cup that had the word pupachino written on it was next to one of his front paws.

Josh saw Donna walk around the corner, she threw him her incredible smile and he gave her his best dimpled grin as he pulled his own chalkboard from his backpack and turned it toward her so that she could read it.

Hi I'm Josh!

I'm here to bug my FAVORITE barista Donna, from 2pm until she kicks me out. Day 1 of 19!

Fun facts:

I like my hamburgers burnt like hockey pucks

I love the New York Mets

I'm in law school, but I don't want to practice law

Below his fun facts, he had tried to draw a picture of him sitting at the coffee bar with Donna talking to him. Of course, there was no physical resemblance, just two stick figures smiling at each other, and a little rectangle that appeared to be a coffee cup. The burnt hamburger he drew turned out pretty good, but he also had an arrow pointing at it that said "hamburger".

"Joshua Lyman", she said with a look of mischief in her eyes. "Did you get your own chalkboard?"

"Yes, yes I did Donnatella Moss. If you get one, then so do I."

"Well, I like your drawings," she said giggling.

"Thanks! The hamburger turned out pretty good, yeah?"

"It is a perfectly drawn burnt like a hockey puck hamburger, Josh."

"I drew it for you," he said impishly.

"Yeah? Well I'm honored. No one has ever drawn me a burnt hamburger before."

"First time for everything, Donna."

"Well you need to sign it!"

"Yeah? Where should I do that?"

"Somewhere clever, like the hamburger bun."

"But Donna, that might ruin the aura that the hamburger gives off in this brilliant piece of art."

"Sign the hamburger Josh, I promise, you won't regret it."

"Are you sure?"

"Josh, it's the part of the drawing you are most proud of, so sign the hamburger," she said as she chuckled a little, giving him his coffee.

"Fine. Gimme your chalk . . . Thank you," he said as he carefully signed his name. "But you know Donna, this isn't my favorite part of the drawing. My favorite part is the stick figures. They look like they're having a good time, ya know, talking to each other and ummm getting to know each other and stuff," he trailed off.

"That's a very accurate description of those stick figures Josh. Do they have names? Do we know them?"

"Yeah ummm the guy his name is Jacob and the girl is Daniella."

"Daniella, hmmm that's different."

"Yeah, but Jacob thinks it's beautiful. Does Daniella not like her full name? Should Jacob call her Dani or Danielle instead?"

"No. She likes it when Jacob says her full name," she said shyly, blushing ever so sightly.

"Okay Donnatella," Josh replied reverently.

"So what is Jacob studying, he has books on the table. And what does Daniella study?"

"Well Daniella has two majors. She chose music because she is creative and talented, and criminal justice, because she would make a good detective. Jacob learned how unbelievably perceptive she was the second time they met."

"Yeah? Well I'm pretty sure Daniella commented on Jacob's detective skills too. Is that what he's studying?"

"Ummmm, hmmmm . . . He's always studying and never sleeps enough, so I think he's a med student. I believe I was once told they usually study alone or in pairs . . ."

"Nah, not a med student," she said quickly."

"No?"

"No. Jacob is definitely not a med student." She was still adamant in her response, Josh noticed. He was going to let it go for now, but something was off. Her whole demeanor changed when he playfully suggested that his stick figure was a medical student. He wanted to get back to having fun. "Okay, you pick for Jacob. What do you think he's studying?"

"Well, Daniella has gotten to know him a little bit. She's seen how passionate he gets in his study group about certain issues. He stands his ground and he wants to make changes in the world. He cares about people. He's getting his PhD in Political Science."

Josh was stunned. He couldn't help but smile at her and quietly say, "Daniella really understands and knows Jacob."

"I think they understand and know each other," she said softly.

"I think you're right Donnatella."

The quiet, comfortable moment that they often share set in. Josh couldn't help but look into Donna's eyes and say rather affectionately, "Jacob can't wait to take Daniella out on their first date."

"And Daniella can't wait to go out with Jacob. It's already marked on her calendar that she has in her bag."

"It's on his calendar too."

"Nineteen more days."

"Nineteen more days."

"Drink your coffee and study Joshua. Study so you can get through law school and make this world a better place."

"Ahh-kay Donnatella," he said affectionately as he began to pull out his Con Law books.


	10. Six Hours of Sleep

Credit to the wonderful and talented Aaron Sorkin for the nickname Donna has for Josh that is referenced in this chapter!

Thank you all so much for your comments and messages! They bring a smile to my face and help me write!

He stayed at Cabbot's that night until 9pm. He didn't realize he had fallen asleep with his face flat against one of his Tort Law books until he felt the gentle stroke of her hand on his shoulder. It felt so unbelievably soothing. Josh could have fallen back asleep instantly. "It would be nice to wake up every morning like this," he thought to himself.

"That feels good," he said quietly as a smile crept across his face. His eyes fluttering slightly, until they closed again.

"Mmmm I bet it does, especially after you've been laying with your head in a book on a solid wood countertop for an hour."

Josh sat up and pushed himself out of his sleep-induced haze."WHAT?! I've been like this for an hour? Donnnnnna! Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Calm down Pumpkin Patch. Wow you really are whiny on Sundays aren't ya? You looked peaceful and you looked like you needed some sleep. Are you sleeping okay, Josh?" He had never heard her sound so concerned before. Usually it was him worrying about her, but was she worrying about him? He knew she worried about his eating, but this, this was a more intense worry radiating from her.

"Yeah, I'm sleeping okay . . . wait- Pumpkin Patch?"

"Mmmhmm. And let me rephrase my last question- are you sleeping enough?"

"Ummm yeah, like four hours a night. So Pumpkin Patch?"

"JOSH!" Oh she was not happy with him now. He could tell she didn't like his answer.

"Donnnnnnna," he whined. It was the only comeback he could think of. She was looking at him with her big beautiful blue eyes, mixed with both concern and exasperation, and he just couldn't think straight. He wasn't sure what got to him more, her eyes or her pout. Probably the pout, it had only made its appearance once, and he was powerless against it. But then again, those eyes . . . He was lost in thought for a moment before she laid into him a little more.

"Joshua David Lyman! 4 hours of sleep is unacceptable! Your body needs more than that and it needs better fuel. Between your eating habits and your sleeping habits, what am I going to do about you?!"

Before he could respond, she continued, he could tell this was important to her, and Josh was really enjoying the lecture she was giving him. She was being bossy and passionate. Josh smiled, she was showing him again that she cared about his well-being, just like she did when she made him his lasagna.

"Let me tell you some of the benefits of sleep Joshua. It reduces the risk of things like stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Sleep repairs your heart and blood vessels. Sleep helps with brain function and removing the toxins that build up over the course of a day. It helps with memory and learning, so more sleep will actually help you in law school. Sleeping relaxes your muscles and allows for deep breathing, so that your brain and body can recover from a long day.

"Ahhh-kay," he showed her his dimples.

"I wasn't done Josh! Put those dimples away, I won't let them distract me."

"My dimples distract you, Donnatella?" He asked, smiling even more.

"Oh my God, Josh!"

"I'm a handful tonight, huh?"

"Yes, yes you are. Now let me finish before I give you the pout."

"Oh, touche Donna. You know my weakness."

"Fight fire with fire, baby!" She said excitedly.

"Okay go on, you have my full attention."

"Did I not have it before, Joshua!? Do I need to repeat all that?

"No no no. You absolutely have had my attention this whole time. Just ummm, yeah go on."

She smiled at him and shook her head. She was messing with him and he knew it. She knew he knew it too.

"Your body gets energy from sleep Josh. You will wake up refreshed and ready to take on your day. You will be alert and you will be able to concentrate the way you need to. Sleep helps you focus and pay attention . . ." Josh saw her trail off before his very eyes. She was remembering something, he could tell. She quickly came back from her thoughts and continued, "It will also help maintain a good demeanor, and a positive outlook. You can handle challenges better with a good night of sleep. And it's a great way to encourage healing. Your immune system depends on sleep to fight infection. You need sleep to keep your white blood cell count up. So sleep. And sleep for at least six uninterrupted hours a night, please. I know I can't get you to eight hours, yet. But six hours of sleep, please. Please Josh."

By the end of her speech, she was almost begging him. Her pleading eyes and the desperation in her voice really got him. He felt something in his heart pull. This was so important to her, and he's pretty sure he understands why. She had stressed the importance of sleep for staying focused and then she had stressed the importance of sleep for healing. He wouldn't ask, not until she brought it up, but he was almost one hundred percent certain that sleep deprivation played some part in the trauma she had experienced and then sleep itself had played a significant role in her recovery.

He reached for her hand where it lay on the counter. He gave it a gentle squeeze and softly rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand for a moment. He looked into her blue eyes with his own compassionate and understanding brown eyes, enjoying the current that was flowing through his body, all from simply holding her hand.

"Okay Donna. Six hours of sleep a night. I'll do it for you," he made his pledge in a soft tone, meant for her ears only.

"Thank you Josh," she said reverently, but also added, "Will you do it for yourself too? Not just me, okay."

"I will sleep six hours a night, and I will do it for the both of us."

"Thank you," she said again as her eyes focused on their clasped hands.

"Thank you for caring about me Donna." His gaze fell to their joined hands too. He smiled. "Donna, our hands fit."

She laced her fingers through his and looked at him affectionately, "Yes they do Josh."

Josh probably would have stayed like that for hours, just taking pleasure in how good it felt to be able to hold her hand. The moment had to end all too quickly when a customer walked to the counter and Donna had to start making some sort of double shot of espresso, extra foam, with a shot of hazelnut, nonsense.

"Okay Donna, I'm gonna go home and lay down. See if I can get the hang of this six hour sleep thing."

"K, Josh. She said as she turned around from the espresso machine. She gave him a megawatt smile and God did he love the way her silky blond hair whipped around as she had turned to look at him. He really just wanted to run his fingers through her hair and kiss her senseless. Something to think about on their first date. But again, he didn't want to rush her. Their first kiss would happen when it would happen. He was happy just being able to see her at work and to hold her hand. He loved how warm and soft it felt against his own.

"You're not staying late right?"

"Not past 11," she said as she efficiently put the espresso drink together.

"What time is your first class tomorrow?"

"Bright and early. 7am."

"K, where?"

"At the Ralph Mayer Learning Center, I have my Painting Materials and Methods class."

"K, I'll be there Donnatella. Coffee in hand."

"I'm holding you to that. Good night Pumpkin Patch."

"I will get to the bottom of that nickname, Donna. Good night. Sleep well."

"You too Josh . . . Oh Josh! Here!" She tossed him a blueberry muffin from the case as he was halfway to the front door. "I figured since you ate the salad I brought you for dinner, that you were in need of a little treat."

"Donna Moss, no one knows me better. Thanks!" He said as he caught the muffin and took a bite.

About an hour later, as Josh found himself laying in bed, feeling his sleep deprived body start to relax and fall into that place somewhere between not quite being awake and not quite being asleep, he thought about everything Donna had said to him about the importance of sleep. He couldn't help but feel anxious over her sleeping habits. She wasn't even getting eight hours of sleep herself tonight. Did she have class every day at 7am or was it just Mondays? She needed her sleep more than he needed his. He would trade places with her in a heart beat so that she could sleep. He would make coffee drinks at Cabbot's, but he probably wouldn't be very good at it. Was she getting enough sleep during her recovery, allowing her body to heal the way it needed to? He couldn't help the shudder that coursed through his body when he thought of those nights again when they stayed at Cabbot's until 2am and that one Thursday when she fell asleep during her shift. His study group had affected her sleep and consequently her recovery and healing process. Knowing it had affected her sleep and made her tired was bad enough, but knowing that it affected her recovery was killing him. How could he make it up to her? Perhaps the best way is to take care of himself like she asked, that way Donna doesn't have to worry about his health and she can focus on her healing and recovery. He liked that plan, he thought to himself as he drifted off into his six hours of sleep.


	11. Blue Eyes and Pumpkin Patch

Josh woke up to the familiar buzzing of his alarm. 10:30pm to 4:30am, a whole six hours of sleep, just like he promised her. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept that long without interruption. Josh smiled and shook his head. She had been right, of course she had been right, he felt energized and well-rested, and he could only hope that she would feel the same way too when she woke up.

Turning his bedside light on and fiddling through his backpack, he grabbed one of his Tort Law books and decided to peruse through it. After about 20 minutes, he tossed the book unceremoniously onto the floor and wandered into the kitchen. He wasn't sure what he was quite in the mood for, Lucky Charms or Coco Puffs. The milk in his fridge had just a few more days before it expired, so he figured he should try and finish it so it didn't go to waste. He ended up having a bowl of each cereal while drinking his coffee, and watching CNN, which focused on several Soviet republics declaring their independence from the U.S.S.R. Tossing his empty cereal bowl in the sink, Josh padded down the hallway to take a hot shower. It was the last day of September, and early mornings and late evenings were accompanied by cold weather, so he was feeling a little chill run through his body.

Once he had showered, Josh threw on some jeans and a flannel shirt, packed up his backpack with his Tort books, and headed out the door to Cabbot's. It didn't really take Josh a long time to figure out which of Donna's favorite drinks he should get her that morning. He chose the large Caramel Macchiato, since it had caffeine in it, and he didn't want her to be tired. The Apple Cider, he thought, would be a nice treat to get her one night during her shift at Cabbot's, or on their first date. Or both. Probably both. Definitely both. Only 18 more days of work, and then they could have their first date together in the park. Josh had never been one for patience, so the waiting game was tough for him, but he would wait forever for her.

"What name should I put on the drink, sir?" The barista asked. Josh had never met this guy before. He was just glad that it wasn't Sean. He was pretty sure he would screw up a Caramel Macchiato or any other drink for that matter.

Josh grinned and looked at the barista, "Blue Eyes."

"Ahhh, must be a coffee for a special someone."

Josh still had the grin on his face. He really couldn't help it. Doing anything for Donna made him happy, but what made him even more happy was the fact that he was going to see her in about fifteen minutes. "Yeah, someone special," was all Josh could manage to say.

"Hey Josh! What are you doing here so early?" Cody asked as he walked around the corner.

"Cody, hi. I'm ahh getting a coffee, ya know like any normal person. Don't you normally work Monday nights with Donna?"

"Oh I'm doing a split shift today. Not getting your normal drip coffee? Wait, does this say "Blue Eyes" Caramel Macchiato? Awwww this is for Donna, isn't it?" Cody couldn't help but smile and wink at Josh.

"Wait. What? Do you mean our Donna? Donna that works here? Donna's got a guy?" The other barista asked in a somewhat shocked voice.

"Yes, Jason. Our Donna has a guy."

"And this is the guy?!"

"Yes, this is the guy."

"Well lucky guy."

"Go make the drink, and make it extra good, since it's Donna's."

The other barista walked off, looking just a little too disappointed for Josh's liking.

"Josh, as you can see, Donna has a fan club."

"I'm not surprised. She's ummm, well ya know. She's . . ." Josh was stumbling for words.

"Amazing?"

"That doesn't even begin to describe her."

Cody smiled. "Don't worry about the fan club, Josh. You think she gives anyone else who walks through here free coffee and lasagna?"

"Well, she did give my dog a free puppuccino."

They both chuckled a little at that. "Alright, maybe you have a little competition from your yellow lab. She did gush about him a little."

"CARAMEL MACCHIATO FOR BLUE EYES!" Came a voice from the coffee bar.

"That's me," Josh laughed, handing Cody $5.00. "You can keep the change. See you later."

"Thanks Josh, say hi to Donna for me and ya know, her fan club. Bye!"

Josh rolled his eyes, "I will tell her you said hi" . . . "But I'm not passing along any message from her fan cub," Josh mumbled that last part as he walked out of Cabbot's.

Josh waited on the steps outside the Ralph Mayer Learning Center. He was there for about two minutes when he saw her walking towards him. He jumped up from the steps and met her halfway. Smiling, he took in her appearance: a cute little blue floral pattern dress with tights, a denim jacket, brown short boots, and that little gray beanie hat he had seen her wear before, she had on matching mittens. Her hair was pulled back in a braid, a black art portfolio bag was slung over her left shoulder. She was absolutely adorable.

"Good morning Donnatella."

"Joshua," she said with a beaming smile. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked in the morning. Hell, he thought she looked beautiful all the time, but early in the morning, not long after she had woken up, she just shined.

"I brought you a coffee, as promised. Caramel Macchiato. I thought about the Apple Cider, but uhh, ya know caffeine so, yah- Caramel Macchiato won."

She took the coffee from his hands and closed her eyes as she inhaled the flavor of her drink, reveling in the heat. Mmmm, smells good. Thank you Pumpkin Patch."

"Welcome Blue Eyes," he said with a smirk.

"Blue Eyes, aye?" She said as she tilted her head, smiling brightly.

"Mmmmhmmm, that's what your drink says. So it must be your name."

She looked at the cup and smiled, "Is that my nickname now?"

"That's your nickname. Jacob calls Daniella that, so it only makes sense that I call you that," Josh said as he referred back to their chalkboards from the day before.

"Does Daniella call Jacob Pumpkin Patch?" She asked playfully.

"She sure does, but Jacob has no idea why."

"Well, a little mystery never hurt Jacob. But, he is quite the detective, I'm sure he will figure it out."

"Oh, he will get to the bottom of it, trust me Donnatella."

"I trust you Josh. But Josh?"

"Yes?"

"It's 52 degrees out."

"Uhhhh, is it?"

"It is."

"Ahh-kay . . ."

"Joshua?"

"Yes?"

"Where is your jacket?"

"Ummm, I uhh, left it at home."

"Why is it at home?"

"Uhh, I left it there."

"Yeah I got that. WHY did you leave it there?"

"Because I never packed it when I moved into my apartment."

"Wait. You mean your jacket isn't even at your apartment? It's at your home-home? As in your parents house in Westport?"

"Ummm something like that, yeah." He said as he began rubbing the back of his neck, voice becoming a little more high-pitched.

"Joshua David Lyman!" He knew that tone, and was coming to learn that most of the time she used his full name, that he was in some sort of trouble. He loved when she got on his case and lectured him. He couldn't help the twitch that came over the right side of his mouth as he tried to suppress a smile. She saw it anyway.

"You better not be smiling Joshua. What am I going to do with you?"

"I didn't smile!"

"Yes, you did. You're holding it back! I saw that quiver."

"What did I do?" He asked, feigning ignorance. He knew she was going to get on him about not wearing a jacket.

"You know what you did. Or rather what you didn't do. You didn't wear a jacket. Josh! It's cold outside and you have wet hair. I don't want you getting sick! Here, hold this," she said as she handed him her drink. He did as asked. Curious as to what she would do next.

She took off her beanie and pushed back the stray blonde hairs. Taking her hat in both hands, she started to efficiently dry his hair. He closed his eyes and wrinkled his nose, but her motions quickly began to feel like an affectionate scalp massage, and he soon let himself lean his head forward into her touch. He felt her thumbs lightly rub his temples, but it was over too soon when she whispered, "I have to go to class now."

He couldn't help himself. He brushed her stray hairs behind her ears, "K," he said as he handed her back her coffee. They were so close that their noses were almost touching. The urge to kiss her was becoming too strong. He stepped away just a little, knowing all too well that he would have given in to that urge had he stayed there for five seconds more.

"Thank you for my coffee," she said shyly, giving him a radiant smile.

"Thank you for drying my hair."

"I don't want you to get sick Josh."

"You would have to take care of me, if I got sick . . ." he said mischievously.

"Yupp. So that would mean no coffee and no blueberry muffins for you."

"Donnnnna. That's not fair. Those things would make me feel better if I were sick."

"Starting the whining early on a Monday morning, aren't you?"

"Donna you can't take carbs and coffee away from me. They're my lifeline."

"Then don't get sick, Joshua. Wear a jacket."

"K, I will wear a jacket."

"Thank you."

"Welcome. Oh, I was supposed to tell you that Cody says hi. Your fan club too, but I'm not passing that message along."

"I think you just did, and what Fan Club?"

"The gomers at Cabbot's."

"Gomers?"

"Yeah gomers. All those guys who want a date with you."

"Are you a gomer, Josh? Should I be worried?" she asked playfully.

"No, no. I am gomer defense. I keep them away from you. Gomer Protector."

She bit her lower lip, "Well, you're sweet. But I will have you know that those gomers are harmless and you have no need to worry."

"Yeah?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah," she said with a little laugh. "Plus, I like dimples, guys with yellow labs, and pumpkin patch hair," she said as she started to back away, a wide grin on her face.

"Yeah?!" he asked excitedly.

"Yeah Josh. And it's a total bonus if they buy me coffee too," she said with a wink.

"Wait, what's pumpkin patch hair?"

"Bye Josh!"

"Donna, you aren't gonna ya know, go and and paint a naked handsome Heathcliff looking model right now, are you?"

"Oh Josh, no."

"K, good."

"That's tomorrow's class!" She said as she laughed.

"Donnnnnnna!" he whined.

"Bye Josh!"

He was speechless. She was perfect. Absolutely perfect. All he could do was shake his head, smile, and walk to class.


	12. Hey Josh, Do You Have a Dog?

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your comments and messages! This chapter is a little long, so I guess that's perfect for the weekend, lol. Also, I used a quote from Season Seven in here, I bet you can find it! Enjoy the chapter :)

Josh fell gracelessly into his seat with two minutes to spare. He couldn't help the grin he had on his face. Seeing Donna for just a few minutes before class, especially his least favorite class with his least favorite professor, seriously improved his day and mindset. Opening his backpack, he dug out his notebook and hauled his three Tort Law books onto his desk.

"You look unbelievably cheerful this morning, mi amigo," Oscar said as he got his notes together for class.

Josh just looked at him, he still couldn't get the grin off his face. Hell he really didn't want to. He just felt . . . He felt happier than he ever had. Oscar didn't have to do much digging to figure it out.

"Oh my God, you saw Donna today, didn't you? That's why you're so happy!" Oscar couldn't even contain his excitement for Josh.

"Maybe I have seen my favorite barista these past few days." They were trying to keep their voices low, they didn't want this to become a study group discussion or worse, a class discussion.

One of the reasons Josh really likes Oscar is his considerate and empathetic nature. His first question hadn't been, "Well what happened?" or "Did you ask her out?" No. Oscar's first question was, "Is she feeling better? I know she wasn't feeling too well a few weeks back. By the way, I laid into Amy about that. Shame on her for her behavior. That's not how we do things in my family. That's just not how it's done. Anyway, I told my family about the situation, they all prayed for her at Church these past few weeks."

"You should tell Donna that, Oscar. I'm sure it would make her happy."

"Wouldn't get me a free coffee though," he said with a wink. "I'm just playing. I will be sure to tell her."

"You'll get that chance tonight. She's working. In fact she's going to be working a lot, like 19 days in a row. It's too much . . ." Josh said as he trailed off, worry taking over in his mind.

"Maybe we can all take it easy on her, let's leave by 9:30 instead of 11:00. I know I wouldn't want my sisters working late, especially if they had been sick, and had to work so many days in a row, and go to school."

"That's kind of you Oscar. I will tell the study group."

"What are you telling the study group?" Kevin asked as he turned around.

"Oh great" Josh thought. He was planning to tell them tonight, not at this moment. Several pairs of eyes turned to him. Kevin and his big damn mouth.

"Study group ends at 9:30 tonight."

"Okay. That's fine. Any particular reason we are cutting it short?" Linda asked as she took out her day planner to adjust her schedule.

"We're just being considerate. No reason the staff needs to be waiting on us hand and foot until 11, unable to clean up for the night. Seems like all the other customers leave by 9:00 on Mondays. If we're out at 9:30, they can start closing shop and do some homework or something before closing the doors for the night at 11.

"Oh and by staff you mean Donna?" Phil asked as he snickered and nudged Josh.

"And Cody," Oscar added.

"Yeah Cody had to work a split shift today, I saw him earlier," Josh added as if to convince the group more.

"I'm not changing my damn study schedule for two baristas, J. I'm in Law School, I study when I want, where I want, and however long I want." He hadn't heard her use that nickname in quite some time. He absolutely hated it, almost as much as he hated what she just spat out of her mouth.

"Law School is your privilege Amy, not your right. You can't just walk all over people and expect others to accommodate you. You have an apartment with a table or desk, study there after 9:30," Oscar spat back. God he was going to be an excellent trial attorney, Josh thought to himself.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, but thank you for that. I still don't get why we are studying there. Why don't we just go to the library and stay as late as we want? We won't have to worry about baristas getting enough sleep. And honestly, not my concern. They signed up for the job and Yale. Sorry if it's too difficult and they can't handle it."

Before either Josh or Oscar could respond, Professor Lawrence entered from the side door and began to address the class.

"It's fine guys, we can study till' 9:30 and if anyone else wants to study after, we can go to that 24 hour diner nearby or to someone's apartment," Phil whispered. Multiple heads nodded in agreement.

"I need to find a new group to study with. This is ridiculous, altering our schedule for an undergraduate barista who can't handle her job and course load," Amy muttered to herself.

"Yes, please find a new group to study with," Josh said to himself as he rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair. He was already getting a kink in his neck from sitting at his desk. Oscar, on the other hand, didn't mind being so forward with Amy.

"Yes, maybe you should find a new study group Amy. Seeing as how you don't appreciate our concern for other people . . . and seeing as how you don't seem to like studying at Cabbot's."

"Alright 1Ls, let's talk product liability. I know, I know, let's not all get excited at once," Professor Lawrence addressed the class with nothing less than sarcasm.

"So you went to Cabbot's yesterday with your dad and it was Donna's first day back?" Oscar asked as they walked to study group together that evening.

"Yeah, and ummm she even gave Buster . . ."

"Buster?"

"Yeah he's my dog. She even gave Buster a puppuccino. Of course he loved her instantly."

"Sounds like someone else I know, Josh." Oscar calls it like he sees it. Josh will never get anything less than honesty from this guy.

"I uhhh," Josh was at a loss for words. Vocalizing his feelings had never been his strong suit.

"Relax compadre, I'm not gonna say anything. You go at your own pace. You do what works best for you and her. She's obviously worth the wait. She's kind, and she's sweet Josh, really sweet. She's the kind of woman you bring home to your parents. She's the kind of woman you grow with, who challenges you but will stand by your side. She's special. Can I have her?"

"No Oscar you cannot have her. Go find your own Donnatella Moss!"

"Does she have a sister?"

"That's a good question. I will inquire for you."  
"Please do! . . Maybe her hemana will give ME free coffee Josh."

They both couldn't help but laugh at that.

"But Oscar, you're right. She is special," Josh said as the corner of his mouth twitched into a smile. He had never met someone more observant than Oscar. All of his future clients are lucky to have him. Oscar knew Donna was going through something and was concerned for her well-being. And everything he said about her, her kindness, her sweet nature, bringing her home to his parents, growing with her, challenging him but standing by his side, well he was absolutely right about all of it.

Josh dropped his bag in his seat and wasted no time walking to the counter. Oscar wasn't far behind. He immediately looked at her chalkboard and the biggest grin spread across his face as he read her words:

Advice from your Lead Barista, Donnatella!

Find someone who's hand fits in yours and let them buy you a coffee, and you buy them a blueberry muffin (or any muffin of their liking!) :)

Josh loved the little drawing that accompanied it. It was Jacob and Daniella. Jacob had on a Mets hat, a coffee in hand, eating a blueberry muffin. Daniella also had a coffee in hand, she was wearing a little beanie and her hair was in a braid, and she was holding a leash that connected to a yellow lab with a dog collar that said "Buddy".

"Hi," he was at a loss for words.

"Hi there," she smiled at him.

"I like your drawing. I like it a lot."

"Yeah?" She smiled and batted her blue eyes at him.

"Yeah."

"Well you better, because it took me a long time."

"I didn't know Jacob and Daniella had a doggy friend."

"Of course they do! How could you forget about Buddy?" She asked as she gave him a pout.

"Oh Donna, if you are gonna gimme that pout, then you better be ready for dimples.

"I'm gonna shut my eyes and pretend I don't see your dimples."

"Fine, then I will shut my eyes and pretend I don't see your pout."

"But you already saw it Pumpkin Patch."

"You gonna tell me what that nickname means? Where it came from? What's pumpkin patch hair?

"You'll figure it out."

"Donnnnnna. I wanna know."

"You can be patient, Josh. Boy you're whiny still hmmm?

"So I didn't tell you this morning, but I slept six hours," he said smiling, hoping to make her a little proud of him for following her instructions.

"Awww Josh that's great. I bet you feel good today."

"Mmmmhmmm. Well rested Donnatella, although my neck hurts from class.

"Uncomfortable seats?"

"Mmmm and three hours sitting in them. Did you sleep well last night?"

"Not bad," she said as she handed him his coffee and the salad she had retrieved from her bag, made especially for him. No onions, no tomato chunks, extra croutons. Italian dressing on the side, but not creamy Italian. She had brought him a salad when he returned to Cabbot's last night, and watched him pick out certain ingredients in the salad. They had argued over salad dressing, and Italian was the compromise.

"Thank you Donna. I want you to have better sleep though. " Not bad" isn't good sleep. If I'm getting six hours, then you gotta get good sleep too."

"You're welcome," she smiled before continuing. "I tossed and turned, but fell asleep around 1 and woke up at 6, so I got about five hours of uninterrupted sleep.

"You work too late, can we fix that so you know, you can sleep more?"

"Someone's needs to be here until close."

"Why does that someone gotta be you most of the time?" He was really starting to feel unbelievably overprotective. He wanted her to get her rest. He knew she needed it.

Donna gently grabbed Josh's hand and squeezed, running her thumb over his knuckles. "You're sweet. Thank you for caring, Josh," she said in a tone of voice that was reserved only for him

"I care a lot," he said softly as he opened his hand, letting his fingers explore hers.

"I care a lot too."

"Yeah?" He asked with a giant grin.

"Yeah. You're the only person I want to share my blueberry muffin with . . ."

"Will you give me the top half?"

"You're greedy! Okay fine, but only if you're good."

"I'm always good."

"Mmmm debatable." She was bringing the banter.

"What do you mean? I'm a good boy." He brought out his dimples.

"You weren't today . . ."

"How so? I brought you coffee! That's like extra good points!"

"Yeah but you didn't wear a coat and you had wet hair."

"Donnnnna," he started to complain.

"Don't "Donna" me, you're gonna get sick if you do that Josh! It's getting cold outside."

"I ummm liked how you dried my hair though. It was nice, nice, it was uhhh really nice, on the nice scale it was way up there, in terms of you know niceness."

"I think it's time for someone to go study."

"I don't want to. I already know the material."

"Then help your classmates who don't know it."

"But I'm ya know, gonna miss holding your hand."

"It will be here when you come back for your refill." She said as she smiled at him.

"Kay," he said as he squeezed her hand and reluctantly let go.

"You hold hands now?" Oscar asked Josh quietly, with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Maybe. What you spying on me?"

"No. I was just seeing if you were following up. Ya know, does Donna have a sister? Remember that little conversation?"

"Oh umm, sorry I got . . ."

"Distracted?"

"Yeah."

"I could tell!" Oscar said with a laugh.

"I was too busy, ya know, holding hands."

"I will let it slide this one time."

"Appreciate that Oscar."

"But when you get your refill . . ."

"I will ask her about any possible hermanas."

"Good . . . AND don't get distracted with hand holding."

"No guarantees."

The rest of the study group members were filtering in a few at a time and getting their coffees, snacks, and teas to prepare for the next three and a half hours of Tort Law review. Strict liability was the review focus again. Josh sat there with his chalkboard in his lap, writing Donna a little note.

"So it looks like she's got a boyfriend now," Mark said to Keith as he sat down with his coffee and donut.

"What makes you say that?" Keith asked as he pulled money out of his wallet, getting ready to walk up to the counter.

"Her little chalkboard message."

"Oh yeah I saw that too," Kevin added.

"Hmmm. Wonder who the lucky guy is. Probably that other barista over there," Phil said as he nodded over in Cody's direction. "They seem pretty buddy-buddy."

"Probably right. He was less than thrilled when I asked her out a few weeks back," Mark replied as he was dipping his donut into his coffee, taking a bite.

"She's cute. I'm not surprised she has a boyfriend. It's nice to see people happy. Good for her, and that little chalkboard drawing is adorable. Looks like mystery boyfriend or possibly Cody, has a dog," Linda said as she got up to grab her coffee.

"Really? Do we all really care about who she's dating and her little drawings? It looks like a picture a 12 year old girl, who is excited about her first boyfriend, would draw. Now that she's dating someone, can we all stop talking about her like she moves mountains. She's not that special, I really cannot say it enough. I mean every time we are here, we talk about her almost as much as we talk about our fucking study topic," Amy said as she tossed her book on the table.

"Actually those drawings are really good. She's a great artist, and everybody likes to go up there and see the chalkboard. She connects with customers. And no, we don't talk about her as much as we talk about our study topic Amy. I mean geez, you're being a little dramatic. Why do you care anyway? Ughh, just calmate, Amy, calmate, comprende?" Oscar left no room for discussion. Josh couldn't help but chuckle, he never even looked up as he continued to draw on his chalkboard.

" So Josh, I forgot to ask, when's your first date with Donna?" Oscar asked him at a volume only Josh could hear.

He smiled as he continued to work on his chalkboard, "Saturday, October 19th."

"Awesome. I'm so happy for you two. And I'm not gonna lie, listening to our cohort here try to figure who her mystery man is, is really entertaining. Especially since he's sitting right at the table and they haven't been observant enough to see it. Although, Amy might know. She's really salty when it comes to Donna."

"Amy and I used to sleep together. Might have something to do with it."

"What?!" Oscar whisper-shouted. "I figured you knew her and had some kind of past. Just wasn't sure what it was."

"Yeah, she dated my college roommate for two years. Then her and I started to sleep together on and off senior year at Harvard. The last time we were together was in July. It wasn't anything serious. In fact, I told myself when I got into law school, that my focus would be school for the next three years. I was determined that nothing would change that."

"But then you walked into Cabbot's one night and a beautiful girl with deep blue eyes smiled at you."

"But then I walked into Cabbot's one night and a beautiful girl with deep blue eyes smiled at me." Josh repeated to Oscar and smiled.

"Feels good doesn't it? Feeling that way about someone."

Before Josh could answer, Kevin called out to Cody, "Hey Cody! Do you have a dog?"

"Huh? A dog?"

"Yeah!"

"Nope."

"K, thanks!"

"Anytime," he looked confused as he just shrugged and went back to serving coffee at the nearby table.

"So not Cody then. He's not the guy in the drawing," Mark said as he finished his donut.

"Maybe he will come in one day, and the mystery will be solved," Linda chimed in as she sat back down with her coffee.

"We're moving on from this conversation to Product Liability. Chapter 11," Amy instructed.

At 7:00, Josh was ready for his refill, but really he just wanted to bring his chalkboard over to Donna.

"Don't forget to ask her!" Oscar reminded him.

"I won't forget."

"Study break already, Lyman? It's barely been an hour." Kevin asked.

"Time for a refill Kev. You guys don't need to wait for me, it's fine."

"I will catch him up on the pages, keep going." Oscar said without looking up from his book.

Josh walked up to the counter, dimples out. Donna saw him approach with his chalkboard in hand. "Whatcha got there, Josh?"

He placed the board in front of her on the counter and held it so she could read:

Hi, I'm Josh! This is day 2 of 19! Here is some important life advice!

Find someone who laughs at your hamburger drawing with you!

Below were two stick figures, one was holding a muffin and one was holding a coffee, and they were both laughing at a hamburger. Of course he had arrows pointing to what each item in the picture was.

"Look Donna, I even signed the hamburger bun this time!"

"You're becoming quite the artist, Mr. Lyman."

"I aim to please Donna."

"Well I'm impressed," she said as she refilled his empty coffee cup.

"But I am here on official business."

"Oh, you mean other than official chalkboard business?"

"Yupp, but chalkboard business in the most official business on the scale of official-ness. But I am also here at the request of my friend, Oscar Arroyo."

"Ahhh, and what does Mr. Arroyo inquire of?"

"He would like to know if one Donnatella Moss, has any sisters?"

She couldn't help but giggle and cover her mouth. Her eyes were squinting as she laughed. Josh really thought her mannerisms were cute. He loved to see her laugh.

"It appears, Mr. Arroyo would like someone to give him free coffee and to ya know, maybe get to know and ummm ya know blueberry muffins, hamburger drawings, and holding hands and stuff . . ."

"Well you will have to tell Mr. Arroyo that I am one of three children in the Moss clan, and the other two are named Gian Carlo and Lorenzo."

"Ahh, so you're the only daughter in the Moss clan."

"Yupp! Carlo is 23 and Enzo is 25."

"Ahhh, so you're the baby."

"I am the baby."

"And are the older Moss boys ummm pretty protective of their baby sister?"

"Absolutely. Any guy they meet will have to go through their little test."

"Test?" he gulped just a little.

"Yupp!"

"Ummm, do they like coffee and muffins? Umm for the future, you know, to prepare?"

"You could win them over with food." She said, starting to giggle at him being uncomfortable.

"Maybe my mom's Matzo Ball soup?" He asked hopefully.

"That could work."

"Noted Donnatella. Duly noted."

"K, now go back and study, and tell Oscar we will work on finding him someone to ya know, eat blueberry muffins with, and coffee, and hold hands, and hamburgers, and stuff," she winked.

"Deal," he said matter of factly, as he grabbed her hand and squeezed it before walking back to his study group.

"Sorry Oscar, she's got two older brothers," Josh said as he sat back down.

Oscar laughed. "Oh Josh, don't feel sorry for me, well you can a little, but you have two older brothers to deal with!"

"All I am saying, is that the plaintiff has every right in this situation to file suit against the defendant. The product was defective, resulting in the plaintiff's injury. As the plaintiff's lawyer, we are taking the auto shop to court and suing for damages. We win. Case closed." Amy said after she read the scenario outloud.

"But what about the defendant?" Keith and Mark asked.

"What about the defendant? I don't care about the defendant, I am representing the plaintiff."

"Where is that situation does it say you represent the plaintiff?" Oscar asked.

"It doesn't, that's just the choice I made."

"The easy choice." Oscar grumbled.

"Whatever, I'm never going to be a defense attorney, or probably a practicing attorney in general. So I couldn't care less about the defendant."

"But you could care more about your client," all heads at the table turned to Donna, who was casually pouring coffee.

"Excuse me?" Amy asked Donna. "But are you a law student?" It was a rhetoric question, one that Donna answered anyway.

"Me? Oh, God no, Donna said as she shook her head and continued to pour coffee. "But I do know a thing or two about product liability. That's what you're studying, right?"

"Yeah", everyone in the group answered. They were intrigued. Josh couldn't take his eyes off her. He loved that she was speaking up. She knew Amy had been wrong in her assessment of the situation, and Donna was about to take her to town on it.

"Okay. So you have your plaintiff, let's call him John. And you have your defendant, let's call them Bob's Auto," Donna started as she put the coffee down and addressed the group. "So John purchased a new transmission, which my God, is expensive and he probably should have just traded the car in, but that's beside the point." Anyway, he buys the transmission from Bob's Auto, and Bob's Auto installs it. CORRECTLY. That's important." She was getting animated and passionate, Josh loved it. She was adding hand gestures and changing her tone when she was making a point. "So one week later, John's car gets stuck in fourth gear and he loses control of his car and slams into a guardrail on the highway. He hires his attorney and they file suit against Bob's Auto. Now Amy, as the plaintiff's attorney, you're not doing him any favors by suing a local mom and pop Auto Shop. As his lawyer, you should have picked up on the fact that the part was defective. Bob's Auto doesn't make the parts, they come from a transmission manufacturer, with BIG POCKETS and HIGH LIABILITY LIMITS. You should have added the Manufacturer to the lawsuit, and then dropped Bob's Auto from the suit. You would have A. Gotten your injured plaintiff way more money and B. You would have done right by Bob's Auto. In fact Amy, your assessment is wrong. Even if you had just filed suit against Bob's Auto, you would have lost the case. The judge would have clearly seen that the part was installed correctly, so the accident isn't Bob's Auto's fault, it was a product liability case not a negligence case. Now you just put Bob's family through a lot of headache and unnecessary stress, your client received nothing, and your law firm earned zero dollars, because you work on a contingency fee. Luckily the judge recommends to your client that he get a new lawyer and sue the transmission manufacturer. Does anyone want more coffee?"

"Donna, will you please take the bar for me? And will you please join my Personal Injury Firm?" Oscar asked, clearly impressed.

"Please tell me you are applying to law school." Linda asked, shocked.

"How do you know so much about product liability? Does your major go over that or something?" Kevin asked as he laughed.

Josh just looked at her, smiling. While everyone else was chatting with each other about Donna's product liability lesson, he just looked at her, amazed. He loved her point of view, how she had looked out for the defendant and the plaintiff at the same time. She would make a great lawyer. She would make a great anything, whatever she set her mind to. She looked at him, smiling right back, "You're incredible," he mouthed silently to her.

"You're sweet, thank you," she mouthed back and gave him a shy smile as she walked back to the counter. She was feeling a little bashful about the attention she was getting, he could tell. God, did he love how she took Amy to school about product liability. Amy absolutely deserved it, especially for the way she had treated Donna. He also loved seeing Donna confidently share her thoughts and opinions and watching her prove her point and infuse it with passion was downright sexy.

"Whatever, so she knows about Product Liability, good for her. Give it a few weeks and I'll know way more about it than her. It really wasn't that impressive," Amy said under her breath.

"It was impressive," Oscar replied simply.

"Damn right it was," Keith agreed.

"I'm going to ask again Josh," Oscar whispered to him. "Can I PLEASE have her?"

"No." Josh's answer was simple and left no room for argument. He did smile at Oscar a little though and shake his head. "We will find you your own Donna though, Donna and I will make it our mission.

At 8:30, the group broke for a study break. Josh of course, made his way over to Donna, who was reading a rather large Shakespeare anthology.

"So let's talk about this naked model guy. The one in your Tuesday class," Josh said as he walked up to her. He hadn't forgotten their conversation from earlier that morning.

"Louis?" She asked as she brought her book down from her face and tilted her head to the side.

"Yes Louis."

"Ahhh, yeah well he comes in sometimes to model," she said with a shrug.

"So sometimes, as in tomorrow?"

"Mmmmmhmmmm."

"And he's ya know, wearing . . ."

"Nothing. He's wearing nothing Josh. No clothes, he's naked," she beat him to the point, and was nonchalant about the whole thing.

"Donna!"

"Josh it's art, it's no big deal."

"No big deal!?"

"Right."

"But Donna, you're looking at some naked good looking guy. Someone who looks like a Demetrius or Romeo out of your Shakespeare book there."

"That's part of the art major. Looking at naked people from time to time, and drawing them. Sorry Pumpkin Patch. But if it makes you feel any better, his girlfriend is in the class and he doesn't have dimples. So ya know, I'll pass. She winked at him. She really was trying to make him feel better, but also needed him to know that it really wasn't a big deal.

"Ahhh kay, I can try to get over it. Doesn't mean I like it though."  
"And that's okay Josh."

"Did we just compromise, like we did with the salad dressing?"

"We did."

"Hey that was pretty easy." He said with a smile.

"It was," she smiled and rested her hand on top of his. Josh in return, grabbed her hand and held it.

"So you were incredible with the whole product liability thing. You're amazing. You made a bunch of first year law students speechless."

"Oh it wasn't a big deal. Just some real life experience that I could share."

"Yeah? Real life?"

"Yeah, my parents own Moss Family Auto. That exact situation happened to them. Luckily, when they were served with the complaint, their attorney answered by requesting the otherside drop my parents from the suit and sue the manufacturer. And that's what happened." She shrugged like it was no big deal.

"I guess you can't always learn everything you need from a law book or class. Sometimes real life experience is what helps you be good at what you do." He stated quietly.

"Exactly Josh." The smile on her face made Josh's night.

"So we are gonna leave tonight at 9:30. Now you and Cody can get all your side work done and get out at 11. That way you can go home and sleep."

"Mmmmm and Tuesday is my sleep in day already so that will be extra nice. Thank you and thank your classmates for me." She said as she refilled his cup.

"I'm glad you get to sleep more. What time does class start?"

"10am on Tuesday."

"10am on Tuesday is naked class, got it."

"Josh." She laughed. "It's not always a naked person."

"But this week it is, so ya know, it's naked class."

"Go study."

"I will come back and say goodbye."

"Maybe I will give you a muffin."

9:30 rolled around and Josh closed his book and went to the coffee counter.

"I will see you tomorrow night. Please get a solid eight hours of sleep tonight Donnatella." He said as he rubbed his neck.

"I will Joshua, but only if you get your solid six."

"K, deal. Another compromise," he said as he smiled, still rubbing his neck.

"Your neck is still bothering you, huh?"

"Yeah. It's really stiff."

"I bet you have a knot. Here put your head down a little and take your backpack off."

He did as she said and immediately felt relief when her warm, soft hands began rubbing his neck. It felt amazing. Letting his body relax, he leaned forward against the coffee bar and let her work on his neck. It wasn't long before she found the spot that was bothering him, relieving the pressure. "Oh God Donna, that's it right there," he said quietly.

"Does that feel good, Josh?" She whispered into his ear.

"God, yes. Please don't stop." He realized very quickly that he needed to get himself under control. The way she whispered those words in his ear was affecting his body in ways that were only meant for his bedroom. He took a deep breath, and focused on her hands and how his neck was feeling.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard Kevin ask, "Hey Josh! do you have a dog?"

"Yes Kevin, I have a dog." Why was he asking this? Josh wondered, he was too into Donna's massage to think about anything else.

"Alright guys, mystery solved, Josh is the guy in Donna's chalkboard drawing!"


	13. Chicken Soup for Joshua Lyman's Soul

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading my story, your comments, and your messages!

I also want to give a special thanks to three other writers who have been helping me with developing ideas and dialogue for this story :) I appreciate all of your help!

Whatever Josh's study group was muttering to one another after his revelation he didn't know or care. He just let himself enjoy the feeling of her hands rubbing his neck. He could feel the tension dissipate as the knot was worked out. The moment was lost when a customer walked up to the register to order some sort of crazy green tea drink. "Whatever happened to just putting a tea bag in hot water?" Josh grumbled to himself.

"That felt amazing Donna, thank you." He said as the customer walked away.

"You're very welcome. You had a pretty big knot there on the side of your neck, I can see why it was bothering you."

"You have nice hands . . ."

"You have nice shoulders . . ."

"You checking out my shoulders while you were massaging my neck?" He asked excitedly.

"Maybe . . ."

"Crew, I rowed for a long time."

"Mmmm, paid off."

"Yeah?!"

"Yeah, you got some pretty broad shoulders there Josh."

"I'm gonna wrap you up in a big, broad shouldered hug one of these days, Donna. I mean if that's okay . . ."

"Looking forward to it Josh," she said unabashedly with a little grin.

Before he could respond to their banter, they were interrupted by Kevin and Keith.

"Well, cozy McCozy over here!" Kevin said as he gave Josh a hard pat on the back. "Donna can we please get a refill."

"Sure Kevin, be right back."

"Well, Joshua, Joshua, JOSHUA!" Kevin continued. "You've been holding out on us. Didn't realize you had a thing with the beautiful Donna over here," Kevin continued as he nudged his head in Donna's direction. I guess I should have picked up on it, you were pretty quiet anytime we mentioned her or you got defensive."

"Mark is like kinda heartbroken Lyman. You stole his girl," Keith added. Both just really wanting to give Josh a hard time for no reason other than to entertain themselves.

"Mark will get over it. She was never his girl anyway." Josh was having trouble maintaining his patience.

"Still, he's super jealous."

"Whatever."

"So how long has this love fest been going on? Since before law school started . . . Did you meet her here one night . . .?"

"None of your business." Josh didn't want to share any details with his classmates. None of them were his friends, except Oscar. The depth of what he and Donna have he wanted to keep relatively private for the time being. He was feeling emotions that he had never experienced before and his priorities had changed. What was happening between them, although new, was incredibly serious and intense.

"Come on Josh, share with your cohort," Keith chimed in.

"No."

"Come on," Keith continued, goading him.

"What part of no don't you two get!?" Josh snapped.

"Oh he's snappy," Kevin volleyback. "Must be trouble in paradise."

"I'll let Mark know. Maybe it will give him a ray of hope."

"Take your coffee and go, boys. Save all your questions for another topic, like I dunno, our Con Law class tomorrow. If you put as much effort into class as you did with bugging Josh, law school would be a breeze for you two," Oscar said as he came to the counter, grabbing his refill.

"We just want some details Oscar."

"Too bad, go away. Bye." Oscar waved them off and they stood off to the side waiting for their coffees.

"Thanks," Josh muttered as he looked at his shoes.

"Anything for mi amigo. They really have no life. Hell if I know why they are so obsessed with you and Donna."

"Got me."

"Could be that she's so beautiful and kind to everyone, that they all kind of have a crush. So when they started to realize she was involved with someone, it kinda fascinated them. I mean that's my only guess."

"Makes sense." Josh knew Oscar was probably right . . . but he'd admit it, he was a little overprotective and jealous, and he absolutely hated the idea of other men looking at Donna, hitting on her, trying to get a date with her . . . "Bunch a' gomers," he muttered.

Josh's bad mood from his encounter with Kevin and Keith quickly vanished as Donna came back, she had their refills ready. Josh hoped that she hadn't heard anything Keith and Kevin had said. The last thing he wanted was for her to be uncomfortable.

"As promised Joshua, your blueberry muffin."

"Thanks," he said with a smile reserved only for her.

"You're welcome. Now go home and get your rest. Six hours, remember. And if you don't follow through, no more muffins . . ."

"Oh geez Donna, please don't threaten to take away the finest muffins in all the land. Don't take Carb Convention away from me." He needed a little banter to end the evening.

"Oh, I mean business Joshua." She stood her ground in the banter session.

"K, fine," he capitulated. He knew from her tone that she meant what she said, and he didn't want to lose muffin privileges.

"Good," She smiled. Night Josh, sleep well."

"G'night Donna," he said quietly as he grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "See you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," her blue eyes shined at the thought of it.

"Night Oscar!"

"Night Donna thanks again for coffee!"

"Anytime Mr. Arroyo!"

Con Law class came quick. Josh wasn't looking forward to it, or rather, he wasn't looking forward to being hounded by his classmates about Donna. He tried to get there as late as possible, without actually being late. He was already in a bad mood when he got there. The thought of Donna painting "Naked Louis" preoccupied his thoughts. He had focused on it all morning. Literally burying his head in his pillow at 10am, trying to "nap through her class", no such luck.

"So what kind of dog ya got?" Phil asked. Ah geez, Josh knew where this was going.

"Uhh a yellow lab."

"So you and Donna ya know like walk the dog? Is that what her chalkboard drawing was?" Mark asked. "Does she like dogs?"

"Yes she likes dogs," Josh was only going to answer Mark's second question.

"Josh you gonna answer our questions from last night, huh?" Kevin asked as he and Keith joined the conversation.

"No."

"Lyman's a closed book, just gonna have to keep bugging him until he caves," Keith said as he got his books out. Josh just continued to ignore them.

"You and Donna seemed happy last night, comfortable with each other." Linda said. Linda was alright in Josh's book.

"Thanks Linda," Josh gave her a shy smile, probably blushed a little too.

"Ahhhh! You see that? YOU SEE THAT? Lyman's in love! This is serious." Josh kept ignoring Kevin.

"Well J, I thought law school was going to be your only focus for the next three years. My mistake. I seem to recall having a very pointed conversation where you said your IQ doesn't break the bank and you needed to spend all your time studying because you want to make it to the White House someday. Well here's a newsflash, Genius. I could have helped you study! But, no, you DUMPED ME and here we are, not even two months in our first semester and you've already fallen hard for an undergrad," Amy's words were biting. "I guess I didn't quite believe you were THAT stupid. Congratulations, you've proven me wrong. For once. And you didn't pick just anyone, no, you go and pick the neediest, most pathetic . . . "

"Amy . . ." Josh's voice was a warning tone. He wasn't going to let her talk about Donna that way. He was prepared to tell her off. She continued anyway.

"Of course she has eyes for you, J. What is she majoring in? Art or something? How convenient for her to snag herself a law school boyfriend, one with a few trust funds at that. Maybe she's not nearly as stupid as you are. I bet she's planning on you supporting her, since she won't be able to find a real job. Even though I hate your breathing guts, let me give you a word of advice. Make sure you always use protection, that way when she turns up pregnant you'll know for sure the brat isn't yours." She whipped around in her seat biting her pencil before he could even respond.

"Oh ouch," Josh heard Phil whisper to Kevin and Keith.

"Oh, didn't realize Amy and Josh used to be a thing!" Kevin whisper shouted.

"I don't need tv. Law school supplies me with plenty of good drama, and I don't even have to pay for it! . . . Well I kinda do, law school is pricey." Keith was getting animated.

"We're gonna have to inquire more about this Amy/Josh thing . . . and how does a person go from dating someone like Amy to someone like Donna?" Kevin feigned deep thought.

Josh's heart rate went up, he gripped the side of his desk. He felt an anger inside him that stirred from some primal response. Amy's attack on Donna's character enraged Josh. He was about to tell her off, and didn't care who heard.

"Relax, take a breath, do not let her get to you. She's not worth it. She's just saying spiteful things to get under your skin. Don't let her win," Oscar whispered to Josh as he placed a hand on his shoulder. Josh hadn't even heard him sit down, but apparently Oscar had witnessed the whole thing.

Josh did the only thing he could do. He buckled down and gave all his attention to Con Law for the next three hours.

Between the comments from his classmates and thinking about Donna painting "Naked Louis," his day had sucked. It was only when she smiled at him as he walked into Cabbot's to study did he feel better. And of course, her chalkboard made him laugh.

Okay, Okay. I might have been a part of my high school's senior prank. The one where we brought three cows into school (what it's Wisconsin, we like cows!) and labeled them 1, 2, and 4. Administration spent all day looking for Cow 3 . . . ;)

\- Donna

"You didn't!"

"I did Joshua."

"Did you get in trouble?"

"Can't get in trouble if they can't figure out who did it. And they can't punish a whole class of 350 students."

"Oh you're incorrigible Donnatella Moss!"

"I will have you know that no cows were harmed in the Madison West Senior Prank class of 1989!"

"Well, I love your cow drawings. Very cute."

"You like cows Joshua?"

"I like them if you like them."

"K, I guess you like them then."

"Ummm, here's my chalkboard," he said sheepishly. He kind of put his feelings on there today:

"Josh had a rough day. Between his classmates being jerks and thinking about naked art class, all he wanted was to see Donnatella. Day 3 of 19!"

Below was a stick figure with crossed arms wearing a Mets hat and a Harvard sweatshirt. A little rain cloud over his head. Of course, the arrow note said "Josh looking upset".

"Josh," she whispered compassionately. He was looking down at the floor, scuffing his foot against the wood.

"Josh?" she said again, sweetly.

"Yeah," was all he said quietly.

"Hey, look at me."

"Yeah," he said as his big brown eyes reached her deep blue ones. The emotions from the day clearly reflected in his eyes.

She grabbed his hand from the other side of the coffee bar with both of her own. "I'm sorry you had a bad day. I'm sorry your classmates were jerks and I'm sorry that my painining class makes you uncomfortable. You can always talk to me about it. I'm here to listen."

"Thanks . . . I just feel a little ummm, insecure about it I guess. You look at these Shakespearean-looking art guys and I get nervous that ummm, ya know you might like how they look more than you uhhh like how I look and ummm stuff . . ." He looked at the floor again.

"Joshua Lyman. Look at me please," she said tenderly. He did.

"I'm in no way inspired by drawing the male models I see from time to time. I don't even see them as a person when they come in, it's the same as looking at a bowl of fruit. I'm inspired when I look at you, Josh." She squeezed his hand and ran her thumb over his knuckles.

"Yeah?" He asked, hope laced in his voice.

"Yeah," she said with a smile and that familiar head tilt that he loves to see.

"I feel better about that now."

"Good. Now how do we get you to feel better about your jerk classmates?"

"Just being with you and ya know, sharing a muffin. And this . . ." he said as he looked at their hands, his fingers laced through hers. He loved the look of their entwined hands. "This helps a lot."

"I can do that," she gave him that brilliant smile of hers.

"K, thanks."

"Oh and Josh?"

"Mmmm?"

"Louis doesn't have broad shoulders," she said with a wink.

On Wednesday night, Josh walked through the door to Cabbot's and all but fell into his chair at the coffee bar, his backpack sliding off his arm to the floor.

***Achoo*** ***Sniffle Sniffle***

"Joshua Lyman, I told you not wearing a coat and going out with wet hair would get you sick," Donna gentle scolded him. She had seen him all of ten seconds, and knew he wasn't feeling well.

"I'm, not sick Donna. I'm just congested, allergies," he said as he continued to sniffle and let out another long sneeze followed by a groan.

"Just allergies, Josh?"

"Okay fine, sick."

"Go home."

"What?"

"You heard me Joshua, go home."

"No, I changed my mind, I'm not sick. Staying here, spending time with you." ***Achoo!*** "Ugh, I hate sneezing." ***Sniffle Sniffle***

Donna gently placed her hand on his forehead. "Josh, you feel like you have a low grade fever. Go home and sleep Pumpkin Patch."

"Your hand feels good."

"Your bed will feel even better, I promise."

"But I will miss you."

"I will miss you too."

"Today is day 4 of 19 Donna . . ."

"It is," she said with a smile as she affectionately brushed his hair back.

"Can I see your chalkboard before I go home?"

She smiled at him as she grabbed her board.

Hi there! If I had to pick, I would say that my favorite dessert is chocolate cake and my candy of choice is Swedish Fish! I guess I'm hungry today!

\- Donnatella

"I like cake too Donna."

"You seem like a guy who would like cake."

"I love cake."

"More than blueberry muffins?"

"Hmmm, tough call. Nah, blueberry muffins and bagels are my favorite. Especially with coffee." ***Achoo!*** "Ugh."

"No coffee tonight Josh, you need sleep. I will give you tea."

"Donnnnnna. I want coffee."

"Will you settle on decaf?"

***Achoo! Sniffle Sniffle*** "K, gimme decaf."

As she started to fill his cup, Josh smiled, thinking about all the little things he had learned about her through her chalkboard notes since late August. But before he left, he had to make sure of one thing, "Donna," ***sniffle sniffle*** "You aren't hungry, right? Your chalkboard says your hungry." He needed to know that she wasn't hungry before he left, or that if she was, she had something to eat. He would get her anything she wanted to eat, sickness and sleep be damned.

"Oh, I wrote that a few hours ago. I ate my salad since then, so I'm good. I just have a sweet tooth today. Thank you for asking though." She said as she smiled at him and handed over his coffee cup with a to go lid.

"You're welcome. I just don't want you to be hungry."

"Well that thought is reciprocated. Here's your salad. Try to at least eat a little of it when you get home, k?"

***Ahh-ahhh-ahh choo!*** "Ugh, that one hurt. Ahh-kay Donna I will try to eat some of it. Thank you for my salad and coffee Blue Eyes, even if it is decaf."

"Night, night Pumpkin Patch."

"Night, night," ***sniffle sniffle*** he said quietly as he squeezed her hand, and with much effort threw his backpack over his opposite shoulder.

As he made his way to the door he turned to wave at her. He hated being sick and that he had to cut their time together short. Even though she had said she wasn't hungry, she still had a sweet tooth, and Josh wanted her to feel satisfied. He made his way to the diner down the road and purchased a slice of chocolate cake. He walked back to Cabbot's and straight to the coffee bar. She looked at him surprised.

"What are you doing here Josh? Go home and go to bed," she said with concern, but was clearly happy to see him.

"I wanted to get you chocolate cake first, Blue Eyes. Satisfy that sweet tooth of yours." He handed her the to go box and grabbed her other hand. They looked at each other for a moment, just smiling and enjoying the last few seconds they had together that evening.

"Ahh-kay, bedtime now." ***Achoo!***

"Bedtime, Joshua. Thank you for my cake."

"You're very welcome. Anything for you Donnatella, anything."

"Anything?"

"Anything." ***Sniffle Sniffle***

"K, then I want you to go home and sleep. I want you to feel better."

"As you wish." And with that he gave her hand a little squeeze, like he always does when they part, and headed home. He was out the minute his head hit his pillow.

Thursday for Josh was a blur. He ended up sleeping in until nine, sleeping nearly fourteen hours straight. He had tried to focus on his Contracts book, but instead spent most of the time sneezing, coughing, and blowing his nose. He turned the TV on for a while, but felt his eyes glaze over as he found himself nodding off. This cold had really knocked him out. At least Donna would be happy to know that he got plenty of sleep. "Donna," he whispered out loud as a smile came across his face. He was really looking forward to seeing her that night. Seeing her would make him feel better.

Somehow, he made it through his Contracts class. He folded himself up in his Harvard sweatshirt, and didn't care who said anything snarky about his undergraduate alma mater. He spent all class sneezing (much to the vexation of several classmates), and tossing tissues into the trash can he had placed by his desk. He didn't really absorb anything from the lecture. He knew his weekend would be spent reviewing the material, but he didn't mind, since he could study at Cabbot's while Donna worked. Hopefully he would be feeling better by then.

He said a quick goodbye to Oscar, letting him know that he would be at study group, despite being as what Josh described as, "half alive." Once he got back to his apartment, he dropped his backpack, tripped over it, said a few choice words, and took a long hot shower, his second one of the day. With what energy he had left, he put his Harvard sweatshirt back on and a pair of sweatpants, and made it to Cabbot's by 5:30.

"Oh Josh, you look like you still aren't feeling well," Donna said, her voice filled with concern. She placed her hand lightly on his forehead, brushing his hair back.

"Mmmmm I feel better now."

She smiled a little at that, but was still worried about him. "You still have a fever."

"I slept for fourteen hours last night." He said proudly. "I followed your instructions. I listened." He gave her an impish grin, followed by several sniffles.

"Mmmm I'm glad you listened. Sleep will help and it appears you needed it. Are you hungry?"

***Achoo!*** "I'm not really sure, I mean I haven't eaten anything all day, but I suppose I should eat, whether or not I feel like it . . . Do you have anymore cake?" ***Sniffle Sniffle***

"Nope, sorry."

"Hmmm, okay then. How about a blueberry muffin."

"Sorry Pumpkin Patch, we sold out. Those were a hot item today."

"You didn't save me one!? Donnnnnna. You know it would make me feel better." ***Achoo!***

"Nope, sorry. Any food with immune-suppressing sugar and fat is a no-no, Joshua."

"Bagel?" He asked hopefully.

"Nope. Sorry. Bagels hardly have any nutrients and they are also made from refined flour, so they will cause your blood pressure to spike and drop, leaving you with barely any energy."

"But Donnnnnna," he whined. "I already ***sniffle*** don't have any ***sniffle*** energy, a bagel couldn't hurt. Carbs make me feel better. Carbs and coffee." ***Achoo!***

"Sorry, you aren't getting either. You're having tea with honey and homemade chicken noodle soup."

"Donna, I don't want tea- wait, did you say homemade chicken noodle soup?" His interest peaked.

"Mmmmhmmmm. Just for you."

"Just for me?" He asked, dimples appearing for the first time that day.

"That's right."

"You made it, just for me?" ***Sniffle Sniffle***

"I did."

"When did you find time to do that?" He asked, somewhat concerned. He didn't want her losing sleep over anything.

"I'm a great multi-tasker Josh. I multi-task."

"Yeah? So what were you doing while making this chicken noodle soup of yours?" ***Sniffle Sniffle***

"Laundry and homework. Possibly dancing and singing to New Kids on the Block . . ."

"Yeah?!" Josh perked up at this. He pictured her dancing and singing through her little kitchen, stirring the chicken noodle soup, and glancing at her homework. He would love to see that.

"Maybe . . ." she said coyly.

"You're cute."

"I'm gonna grab your soup. Don't go anywhere, sicky."

"There is nowhere else I would rather be Donnatella."

While Donna got his soup ready, Josh pulled his books out and settled in to his seat at the coffee bar.

"You gonna sit here tonight?" She asked as she placed a hot bowl of soup and a roll in front of him along with a mug of tea.

"If that's okay?" He asked softly as he reached for her hand, rubbing his thumb back and forth over her soft skin.

"Of course it's okay, Josh." Donna said reassuringly, "I just don't want your study buddies to get upset with you."

"I don't care what they think. Well, except Oscar, but he won't mind at all, that I'm ya know, over here," he said with a shy smile, before continuing, "I don't feel well and I just, I just . . ." He was having trouble expressing his feelings.

"You just want to sit here, eat your soup, and read your books . . ."

"And hold your hand," he added shyly, with a little smile, looking at her with his tired, deep brown eyes.

"You can do that Josh."

"Yeah?" ***Sniffle Sniffle***

"Of course," she whispered, giving him an affectionate smile.

Another comfortable moment passed between them. Holding her hand instantly made him feel better, he let the warm current wash through his body. He felt connected to her. He couldn't explain it. You just had to feel it to understand it.

"Eat your soup, Joshua." I'll be right over here."

"K," he said as he carefully brought the spoon to his mouth, drinking in the warm, flavorful liquid.

Josh was still enjoying his soup, studying, and watching Donna busy herself with customers and make drinks when he heard the familiar voices of his study group walk through the door. Of course he heard Kevin first, it's hard to miss Kevin's booming voice.

"Hey Donna, can I please have a drip coffee? Thanks," Kevin asked as he turned to Josh with a big grin. "Lyman. Are you ditching study group? Just gonna hang out with your girl here?" He asked as he winked and nodded to Donna. Josh saw her blush.

"Yeah, I'm all settled in here."

"Where did you get the soup?" Kevin asked moving forward with the conversation. "I didn't know they served that at Cabbot's. Looks freaking delicious, smells amazing too."

"No Kevin, they don't sell it here. I will join you guys on Monday," Josh hoped Kevin would get the hint that he wasn't interested in having this conversation.

"So you bring it with you or . . .? OH! She made you soup, didn't she?! Donna made you soup!" Josh, still for the life of him, could not understand why his study group was so interested in his relationship with Donna and the fact that she gave him soup. He didn't respond, he just ignored Kevin and kept trying to read.

"Lyman you are one lucky son of a bitch," Kevin said as he laughed and clapped his hand on Josh's shoulder and walked back to the table. Of course, with Kevin's loud voice, he heard every word that came next at the table.

"So Lyman is ditching us tonight. Donna brought him some soup, which looks amazing, so he's sitting up there. I mean he can eat his soup over here, we'll let him."

"Oh that's nice of her," Linda said in passing as she flipped through her planner.

"Ugh she made him soup? I wish she made me soup. What's so special about Lyman anyway?" Mark asked, still feeling the sting of his unrequited crush.

"We aren't even here for five minutes and already we're talking about the fucking barista!?" Amy was fuming as she slung her books on the table, just walking in to Cabbot's.

"Well actually, we are kind of talking more about soup," Phil added.

"Soup?" Amy asked with a scowl.

"Yeah. Donna brought Josh soup."

"Who the hell cares!?" Amy asked impatiently as she rolled her eyes and sat down in her chair. "Let's get going with Contracts. I'm not sitting here listening to this all fucking night."

"We're all here, so yeah let's do this," Keith added as he flipped through his textbook.

"Well, everyone except Lyman, he'd rather spend time with Donna than us," Kevin said as he chuckled and sipped his coffee.

"God, Kevin! He's sick, stupid! . . . He's sick and he wants to spend time with Donna. Get off his back. All of you. You've been hounding him all week. Don't you have anything better to talk about?" Oscar had had enough. "You know what, I can't do this tonight. I'm going to get more done sitting over there with Josh."

"Ughh, one thing we actually agree on. I've heard enough about her," Amy mumbled.

"No Amy, you are actually a huge part of the problem. You have been nothing but disrespectful to Josh and to Donna, ESPECIALLY Donna. It's disgusting."

And with that, Oscar collected his books and walked away from the table and towards the coffee bar.

"Hey Josh, you got room for one more?" Oscar asked as he reached the coffee bar.

***Sniffle Sniffle*** "Oscar, hey. Yeah as long as you don't mind sitting next to a sick guy."

"Ha! Been sitting next to one in my law classes, so it's cool amigo," Oscar winked at Josh and put his hand on his shoulder. "Hi Donna!"

"Hi Oscar! Are you joining Josh?"

"Absolutely. The company over here is much better."

"Well sit down and I will get you some soup. You're both going to take these Vitamin-C packets. You-" she pointed at Josh, "So that you can get better, and you-" she pointed at Oscar, "So that you don't catch what he has. I will come back with water and you can mix them in," she said as she walked off to get Oscar some soup and a little more for Josh.

"Jooooosh. Mi Amigo, por favor, Can I have her pleaseeeee?"

***Achoo!*** "No. I found her first."

"Fine," Oscar sighs, but he quickly perked backup as he sees a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup being placed in front of him. "Gracias, Donna."

"Prego, Oscar! Eat up boys. Joshua, I will pack the rest of the soup up for you to take home. There is about five days worth," She says sweetly as she places her hand on his cheek.

"Thank you," he says quietly, as he leans his cheek into her touch and enjoys the feeling of her thumb rubbing against him as sleepiness start to invade his body.

For the next hour and a half, Oscar and Josh covered an extensive amount of material for their class. Josh, at Donna's urging, finished his mug of tea and Oscar downed two bowls of chicken noodle soup, promising Donna that when he had time, he would make his mom's Pozole and have her and Josh over for dinner. The evening rush at Cabbot's had died down and Donna was able to read for her Shakespeare class right across from Josh as he studied. They didn't say anything to one another as they both did their work, but their hands were locked together, fingers exploring, and looks of affection were passed between the two, speaking volumes. Josh eventually lost the battle against sleep as he gave in and rested his head on his book, not caring that he was at Cabbot's. Thirty minutes later, Donna gently rubbed his shoulder and whispered in his ear,

"Josh, wake up sleepy, Oscar is going to drive you home."

*** Sniffle Sniffle*** "Oh, I uh, uh, I fell asleep?" He asked, still in a sleepy trance.

"Mmmmhmmm. It's okay. You don't feel good. Go home. Get some rest, I will see you tomorrow."

"Chalkboard. I didn't see yours tonight. I always see it. Lemme see please," he asked as he blinked his eyes to help him wake up.

She smiled and went to grab her chalkboard. He reached in his bag to grab his. Of course, hers was a fantastic drawing of Jacob, Daniella, and Buddy, all wearing jackets, walking in the park. Under it was a note that said:

A PSA from your Lead Barista, Donna!

Make sure you are dressing warm when you go outside! The weather is changing. Keep your fur friends warm too! Oh, and if you go outside with wet hair, wear a winter hat! ;)

Josh's board had a stick figure, laying in bed with a thermometer in his mouth. Of course, there were arrows that said "bed", "thermometer", and "sick guy."

Hi, this is Josh! It's day 5 of 19! Don't be a Jacob and get yourself sick by going outside with wet hair and without a jacket. Jacob should have listened to Daniella . . .

"Yes, indeed!" She laughed as she looked at his chalkboard. "Jacob should have listened to Daniella."

"Jacob was just too excited to see Daniella that morning and give her a Caramel Macchiato that he didn't bother with drying his hair and throwing on layers in lieu of his jacket."

"The jacket that should be at your apartment, but is in Westport?"

"The very jacket, Donnatella," he said with a grin.

"Well, when Jacob is sick, Daniella will always bring him soup," she spoke softly.

"And when Daniella is tired, Jacob will always bring her coffee or tea . . ."

"Jacob's sweet."

"Only for Daniella."

"Okay, times up. Jacob say goodnight to Daniella, Daniella say goodnight to Jacob," Oscar said with a little chuckle. "Hey in this universe, what's my name? Olly?"

"Olly works. You can be Olly," Donna said with a grin as she got Josh a to go cup of tea and a coffee with cream for Oscar.

"Go sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, feel better."

***Achoo!*** "K, g'night" Josh said as he gently squeezed her hand. ***Sniffle Sniffle***

"Night, sweet dreams. Night Oscar! You get some sleep too, you don't want to catch this."

"And sleep is important, it's good for your health," Josh cut in as he looked at Donna with bright eyes, remembering her words.

"Yes, sleep is very important for your health," she said with a smile.

"Sleep. Got it. Will do. Night Donna, thanks again for the soup!" Oscar said as he grabbed Donna's bag of soup for Josh and they walked out of Cabbot's, but not before Josh turned around to smile at Donna one last time for the evening.


	14. Matzo Ball Soup for Donnatella Moss's Soul

Josh spent the weekend resting and studying at Cabbot's. By Saturday, his fever had broke, and by Sunday, he was really just congested. Donna's soup and Vitamin-C had certainly helped him physically, but her presence had helped him emotionally and mentally. She kept him in a good mood, in good spirits.

They had bantered over who was better, the Brewers or the Mets. Donna was still holding on to the fact that the Brewers won the World Series in 1982, but Josh kept reminding her that the Mets had a more recent World Series win. Donna let Josh have a muffin and a bagel over the weekend, agreeing that he was looking much better. Of course, the deal was he had to have chicken soup or salad with his carb of his choice.

He told her that his mom would drive all the way to Cambridge to bring him Matzo Ball Soup when he was sick. Donna told him that she never had Matzo Ball Soup before, but heard it was delicious, and would love to learn how to make it. She told Josh stories of how her mom would make her Italian Chicken Noodle Soup when she wasn't feeling well. They shared little childhood memories. Josh envisioned a seven year-old Donna, sitting in her bed eating soup while clutching her stuffed animal dog.

"I bet you were adorable as a little kid, I wanna see pictures," he had playfully demanded.

"And I bet you were cute with your hair sticking up in a million different directions, with those dimples of yours," now that I would love to see a picture of, Joshua."

"I can make that happen."

"That might just earn you an extra bagel or muffin."

"Okay then I'm definitely making that happen."

He had teased her about being a cheesehead and she had teased him about his messy backpack. "Joshua," she had said sternly. "Your backpack looks like it belongs to a seven year-old. Where are your folders and notebooks? Why do you have so many loose papers? How are you organized? I can't see the bottom of your bag . . ." When he showed up on Sunday, there were folders and notebooks waiting for him. "We're organizing you, Pumpkin Patch." Their chalkboards had been filled with silly drawings of football and baseball teams, Josh being unorganized, Donna walking a cow, Jacob and Daniella wearing Mets and Brewers hats. "Donna, why is Buddy a Brewers fan like Daniella and not a Mets fan like Jacob?" Josh had whined. They spent quiet moments studying together, holding hands across the coffee bar. Josh would look up every so often when she giggled at something or when she made a "hmmphh," at something she didn't like reading in her book. He just loved spending time with her, and even though they hadn't gone on their first "official" date yet, he felt like they had gotten to know each other so well and gotten so comfortable with each other through their "work/study Cabbot dates". There would certainly be no first date jitters come October 19th.

Josh had called his parents over the weekend, asking if Noah could bring his winter jacket to Cabbot's on Monday night around 8:00.

"Joshua David Lyman! Are you sick?! And you didn't tell us?" Miriam Lyman had asked.

"Yes Mom, but my fever is gone."

"And why didn't you call?!"

"I uhhh, didn't think about it."  
"When you were at Harvard, You always called when you were sick."

"Buster no, stop. Donna took care of you, didn't she son?" Noah asked from another phone in the house, while trying to get Buster to stop jumping on the furniture.

"Yes Dad, she did. Lot's of chicken noodle soup," Josh couldn't hide the elation in his voice.

"I need to meet her Joshua!"

"I know mom, you will."

"Noah keeps telling me how great she is. How good you two looked together . . ."

"She wants to learn how to make Matzo Ball soup, mom."

"Oh I will teach her! Bring her to the house!"

"After our first date mom."  
"Which is October 19th," Noah chimed in.

"I feel so left out Joshua, I want to meet her! Even Buster has met her!"

"Why don't you drive with Dad to New Haven Monday night? You can meet her then."

"Well Joshua, had you given us more than 48 hours notice, I could have. But I have a commitment with B'nai Israel at 8:30 that I cannot cancel. How long have you known you needed your jacket?"

"Umm almost a week?"

"And you're just calling now?"

"Mommmmm," Josh protested. "I was sick and you know, law school and stuff."

"Don't mom me. Call earlier next time."

"Yes mom, I'm sorry. Donna told me the same thing," Josh said sheepishly.

"I'm liking Donna more and more by the minute!" Miriam responded happily.

"You and me both mom." Only, Josh knew he more than just "liked" Donna. His heart fluttered at the thought.

"Buster, Buster bring back my wallet! BUSTER!" Noah yelled as he put the phone down.

"Well I should let you go son. Looks like Buster found your father's wallet again, you know how he likes to chew on the leather. I'm glad you are feeling better b'NEE. I love you.

"Love you too, Mami. Oh Mami! One last thing- can you have Dad bring a picture of me as a kid with him? Preferably one where ya know I have dimples and my hair is sticking up in a million different directions?" Josh asked hopefully.

"Oh that's like every picture of you Joshua. I think I can find one pretty easily for you. Or rather, for Donna."

"Thanks Mami. I appreciate it."

"Anything for you, Joshua. Lehitra'ot." (goodbye)

"Yom tov, Mami." (have a good day)

On Monday morning, Josh woke up with a grin on his face. It was day 9 of 19, basically half way through. He absolutely could not wait for their first date. He was thinking about taking Donna to Edgerton Park, which was surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers, a conservatory, carriage house and greenhouse, a fountain, and plenty of park benches where they could share muffins, Donna's vegetable of choice, and a slice of cake. Josh couldn't wait to walk around the park, holding her hand, sipping coffee, and looking at the foliage. Although to be honest, Josh knew that he would be looking at the beautiful woman walking next to him, and not so much the leaves. He just knew she would love this park.

Although Josh would love to take Donna out for dinner, he thought back to her chalkboard message, the one from September 2nd. It was the second time they had seen each other at Cabbots:

Your Lead-Barista is: Donnatella (Donna)

Two Truths and a Lie:

My major is chemistry

I transferred from the University of Wisconsin

I love sitting on the couch and eating takeout

She loves takeout. Maybe after the park and doing some meal planning, they could relax together on his couch with takeout and a movie Josh thought. He also wondered if they would be taking a trip to the grocery store for his meal planning lesson. If so, Josh was positive that Donna wouldn't let him get Coco Puffs or Lucky Charms. Still, the idea of going grocery shopping with Donnatella Moss thrilled Josh Lyman.

Josh walked into Cabbot's that evening at 5:50, plenty of time to chat with Donna and get his materials ready for study group. Now that Donna had helped him organize, getting ready for study group would be that much quicker. However, the coffee house was far busier than usual. Josh was surprised that their table was actually available, given how busy it was. Donna's line was seven customers deep, and there was just no way he was going to be able to get his coffee and chat with her before study group. "Dammit," he muttered to himself. This was not how he envisioned the evening going. He wanted to at least wave to her, to see her smile, but Josh knew the moment he saw Donna, that something was off. The smile she was giving her customers didn't reach her eyes, her hair was slightly disheveled (although still unbelievably beautiful, Josh thought), and she looked frazzled. His level of concern for her skyrocketed in an instant.

"Hey Josh, I noticed you come in and Donna's line is super long, so I got your coffee for you. I will tell Donna you said hi; I'm sure it will make her feel better, she's having a rough night it seems," Cody said quickly as he handed Josh his coffee and rushed off to his next customer.

"Thanks Cody," but Josh's words fell on deaf ears as he saw several customers approach Cody with their drink order.

He focused again on Donna and noticed her wince as she picked up the coffee pot to pour a mug for her next customer. He didn't like the look of this at all. She was clearly in a lot of pain, but trying to hide it. He wouldn't be asking her to pour him a refill of coffee this evening and he would make damn sure that all of his classmates followed suit.

"Josh! Stop looking at Donna and get over here!" Kevin's booming voice filled the coffee house.

"Say that a little louder, Kevin?" Josh asked sarcastically as he sat down.

"Well speaking of Barista Donna, I have an interesting story to share," Amy announced to the group. She was basically grinning from ear to ear.

"Can't wait to hear this . . . said no one . . . ever," Oscar muttered.

"I was on my way to Cabbot's a few hours ago and I literally ran into Donna on my way out. I spilled coffee all over the both of us, but she should have been paying attention. Whatever, her jacket was ugly anyway, maybe she will throw it out, but that's besides the point . . ."

"Amy this story doesn't seem to have a point, so if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to start studying," came Oscar's irritated voice.

Amy ignored him and kept going. "So, when Donna and I ran into one another, she dropped her tote bag. She paused a moment before the next part, "Did you guys know that Barista Donna is running a pharmacy out of her bag in her spare time? She had lots of prescriptions in there . . ." Amy let that hang out in the open for a moment. Josh knew better, he knew that those prescriptions were for her neck and her arm. As much as he would like to scream at Amy and tell her how immature and unkind she was being, he didn't want to cause a scene and embarrass Donna. Oscar on the other hand, had no problem speaking his mind in response to Amy . . . again.

"Well of course she has prescriptions, Amy! Dios mio, I mean how did you even get into law school anyway, since it appears you can't put two and two together. You of all people should know that those prescriptions are more than likely for the scar on her neck. You're the one who so "kindly" pointed her scar out to the rest of us." Oscar really emphasized his sarcasm on the word "kindly" as he air quoted it. "Now, as I said before, if you don't mind, I would like to focus on studying."

"Agreed." Josh cut in. he wanted the conversation topic to be changed as quickly as possible.

"Good. So let's focus on the class discussion from earlier today, when torts turn into crimes. Chapter 14," Oscar instructed the group. Everyone followed his lead.

Josh couldn't focus. He kept looking over at Donna and it didn't look like her night was getting any better. He needed to know that she was okay. At 6:30, he noticed her line had finally died down, and Josh took the opportunity to walk over and say hi.

The first thing he noticed as he walked up to the coffee bar, was that her chalkboard was very brief and not personal. But it was friendly, just like all of her messages. Even if she was having a terrible night, she was always kind.

Hi, I'm Donna!

I'm happy to be here to serve as your Lead Barista! Enjoy your coffee and tea :)

When he reached the counter, her back was to the coffee shop, scrubbing a spot on the countertop as aggressively as she could, and with her left hand, Josh noticed.

"Hi Donna, are you okay?" He asked quietly.

She stopped and looked at him, before quickly looking down at the sponge she was scrubbing with. Even though he only saw her eyes for a moment, Josh could tell that she was fighting back tears, trying hard not to break down in front of him. She just kind of nodded a little bit and went back to scrubbing.

"Donna? What's wrong?" He tried again as he grabbed her free hand. She pulled away quickly, but not before he noticed that her hand was shaking.

"Just leave me alone Josh," she whispered without malice.

"It's okay Blue Eyes, you don't have to tell me, but I'm here to listen. I'm gonna go back and study, but don't overdo it tonight, okay? Let me know if you need anything. I'll say goodbye before I go home."

Donna didn't say anything, she just closed her eyes and nodded her head slightly.

"She was so good to me when I was having a bad day, and I know her bad day is infinitely worse than any bad day I could possibly have, so I will do anything she asks me, even if it means leaving her alone for the night," Josh thought to himself as he walked back to the table and slumped into his chair. Oscar picked up on it immediately, and placed his hand on Josh's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Again, Josh found himself unable to concentrate. He had put on a brave face for Donna, but on the inside he was a mess. It pained him to know that he couldn't reach her in her time of need and anguish. He looked over at her, she was leaning against the sink, her left hand grasping her right one, trying to still it as it trembled and twitched incessantly. It broke his heart, watching her struggle. "She shouldn't have to go through this alone," he thought to himself. She finally gave in to her struggle, as she reached into her tote bag and as discreetly as possible, opened a prescription container. Unfortunately, the shakiness of her right hand led to her pills falling on the floor behind the counter. He saw her body slump in frustration, as she bent over to pick up her medication. It took everything Josh had not to go over and help her. "She asked to be left alone," he quietly reminded himself. When she popped back up from behind the counter, he saw her wipe a tear from her eye as she took one of her pills with a glass of water and threw the rest in her tote bag. He was nearly in tears himself. His overprotectiveness of her kicked into overdrive, "She shouldn't be working tonight," he thought to himself. What could he do to help her?

"Oh look, Donna's taking her meds. Hopefully it helps with that shaky hand she's got going on tonight. I'm not a medical student, but that's a sign of withdrawal . . ." Amy trailed off with her accusation.

"AMY CUT IT OUT!" Josh snapped, but only loud enough for their table to hear. All of his classmates stopped what they were doing to look at him. "Can't you see that she's in pain? What's wrong with you? Why do you have to be so cruel to her? What the hell did she ever do to you? Did you not hear ANYTHING Oscar said earlier to you?!" He was beyond angry.

"Give it a rest Amy." Oscar added. "Now's a good time for a coffee break," he continued. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"If you're getting coffee, get it from Cody," Josh told the group, with no room for discussion.

"But why not from Don-" Kevin started to ask before Oscar jumped in.

"What the hell Kevin?! Have you been listening like, AT ALL? Donna needs a break. She's getting a break. GOT THAT? You want coffee? You get it from Cody. Deal with it."

"Oh uh, okay. My bad," Kevin replied as he got up and walked over to Cody.

"Idiot," Oscar said under his breath at a level only Josh could hear, slamming his book closed.

Josh peeked over at Donna from his seat about five minutes after everyone came back from their coffee break. He could tell that she had drawn something on her chalkboard, and he couldn't quite see what is was, but he took it as a message from Donna. He quickly bounced out of his seat and walked to the counter. On the chalkboard was a picture of Buster, looking just a little sheepish, and his bowl was flipped over, food all over the place. In a quote bubble above his head was written, "Mi dispiace"

"What does that mean?" He asked her softly.

"It means I'm sorry," she said timidly as her eyes met his.

"Donna you have absolutely nothing to be sorry about."

"I shouldn't have told you to leave me alone . . . you were just trying to help and . . . and . . . I'm just having . . . having a bad day." The sadness in her eyes spoke volumes and affected Josh immensely. His heart ached for her. He just wanted to hold her and take away the hurt she felt.

"It's okay Blue Eyes, everyone has bad days. Tomorrow will be better. If you want to talk to me about it, I'm here for you. I'm always here for you," Josh said tenderly. He wanted to reach for her hand, but he wasn't sure how comfortable she was with that right now, given the symptoms and pain she was having.

He could really tell that her arm was aching. Her drawing of Buster, although accurate, was drawn simply and quickly, as if to limit the use of her arm as much as possible. Her hand was still shaking, so her drawing wasn't as neat as it usually was. There were some shaky lines. The quality of her drawings didn't matter to Josh though, he loved whatever she drew. In fact, her drawing gave him an idea.

"The weather Josh," she began slowly, with a shyness to her that Josh had never seen or heard before. "It's cold out and I couldn't finish my art project in class, and I dropped a plate, and I can't tie my shoes . . ." She stopped quickly after that last admission as she tensed up a bit, not wanting to get into it with him at that moment.

Josh noticed that her hand was still shaking and he didn't want her to feel self conscious about it. He quickly leaned forward on both hands and peeked over the countertop at Donna's feet. "I can help with one of those things," he said sweetly and gave her an affectionate smile as he walked around the coffee bar and dropped down to tie her shoes. "There, I even double knotted them, bunny ears and all," he whispered as he stood back up, giving her a reassuring smile. Now he understood why she was behind the coffee bar all night. She was embarrassed about her shoes being untied.

"Thank you, Josh," she said as she grabbed his hand, barely keeping it together. She was touched by his actions.

"Anything for you, Donnatella, anything," he whispered as he squeezed her hand. "I gotta go make a phone call, but I will be back, so don't go anywhere," he said with a wink. Josh may not know exactly what's wrong, but he knows how to help.

"K," she said, still a little inhibited.

"Good." He squeezed her hand again and ran out the door. He still had a little time before his dad left for New Haven.

"Hey mom, is dad still at the house?" Josh asked about two minutes later from a pay phone right around the road from Cabbots.

"He's just about to leave b'NEE. Hold on let me get him."

"NOAH! Joshua's on the phone!" He heard his mom shout from the other end.

"Hey pal what's up."

"Dad, I need a favor."

"Sure thing buddy."

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Josh went back into Cabbot's and pulled his chalkboard out of his backpack, erasing the "It's day 9 and the Mets still have a better record that the Brewers . . ." with pictures of the team logos and a baseball diamond, the original message meant for Donna that night.

"Josh you gonna join us for ya know, most of the study group? We could use your input," Mark said as Josh fervently drew on his chalkboard.

"I will join you when I join you. I have something to take care of."

"Writing on a chalkboard?" Kevin asked as his eyebrows raised. Josh ignored him.

"If you have questions Mark, I will pass them on to Josh and he can answer them tomorrow. Let him do what he needs to do. There are several other people here who can give you input," Oscar said as he winked at Josh.

"Thank you," Josh mouthed to Oscar as he basically fell over his chair in excitement and ran up to Cody, ordering a large Hot Apple Cider for Donna, and ordering two additional drinks that he would grab at 8:00. With the drink in hand, he walked over to Donna, presenting to her his chalkboard in one hand and apple cider in the other.

Blue Eyes,

Today is day 9 of 19! I have a surprise for you at 8pm. If you can, please take a break :) You will need your jacket! In the meantime, please enjoy this Hot Apple Cider.

xoxo Pumpkin Patch

"I think I can do that Joshua," she said quietly and with a smile as she brought the cup up to her nose and breathed in the scent of her drink, just like she did that one morning with her Caramel Macchiato. "Thank you for my drink Josh."

"You're welcome. Anything for you Donnatella, anything," he couldn't say it enough to her. Especially tonight. "I will be back up here around 8ish to get you."

Josh could barely contain his excitement as he tried to focus for the next twenty-five minutes on car accidents being both civil and criminal offenses. He kept looking at his watch, glancing outside, looking over at Donna. He was glad to see that she was enjoying her drink. Although she was holding it with her left hand, he could see that her right hand was starting to shake less. That put a smile on his face.

At 7:57, Josh heard a light tap on the window by his study group. Everyone looked up.

"That's my dad," Josh said enthusiastically as he waved to his dad and gave him a "one minute" signal as got up from his seat and quickly walked over to Cody. He grabbed the drink holder, which held his requested drinks and made his way over to Donna. He wanted to make sure she didn't see what was written on the coffee cups so he turned the names toward him. He absolutely did not want to ruin this surprise for her.

"You ready?" He asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Mmmmhmmm," she said cheerfully, as she pulled on her coat.

"That's a cute coat," he said with a smile. He saw the stain from her earlier encounter with Amy, and he made a mental note to take her coat to the dry cleaners for her. It looked adorable on her, Josh thought. It was light gray with black buttons, and it flared out just a little. She had a pink little beanie and a pink scarf, mittens hanging out of her pockets. Josh noticed she probably didn't put them on or rather couldn't put them on because her hand was still shaking.

"Here, let's get your mittens on. I don't want you to have cold hands," he said benevolently as he put the drink holder down, grabbed the mittens from her pockets, and placed them on her hands.

"Thank you Josh." Her eyes were shining.

"We're going outside Donnatella and I don't have wet hair."

"Good job Pumpkin Patch!" It was the first time she sounded like herself all night. He was ecstatic.

He carefully grabbed the drink holder in his right hand, and placed his left on the small of her back as he guided her across the coffee house floor. He left her side only to open the door for her, very aware that his classmates were all watching them.

"Oh she's meeting Dad tonight?" Amy asked scathingly.

"Oh they actually already met, Amy!" Oscar fired back.

"Joshua! As requested, I have for you the following: one winter jacket, one childhood photo, and one Buster Lyman!" Noah said happily as Josh and Donna walked outside, Josh's hand falling back to the small of Donna's back, it's new favorite place to be. Well, there and entwined with her hand.

"Noah! Buster! Oh my goodness, hi! What a wonderful surprise!" Donna said with delight.

"Surprise Donna, My dad was stopping by tonight with my jacket and photo, and I called him about 45 minutes ago and asked him to bring Buster along," Josh said as he looked into her eyes. "I thought he might make you feel better," he whispered as he gently rubbed small circles on her back.

"Joshua Lyman, you are without a doubt the sweetest, kindest, most caring person I have ever met. Thank you," she said tenderly, rubbing her mitten covered thumbs over his cheeks, not caring about her shaking hand.

"Anything for you Donnatella, anything," he said giving her his best dimpled smile.

"Someone gets a muffin or bagel tonight, since he followed through with the photo," she giggled and nudged him.

"Oh a muffin, for sure!" Josh said with excitement.

Noah was overjoyed to see the ever growing love and affection between his son and Donna. He had never seen Josh so happy and comfortable in his life. As his father, he couldn't put into words the feelings he had. Watching his son find what mattered most to him in this world, to find his Bashert, well that was just incredible. Him and Miriam really needed to get the two of them to Westport as soon as possible. They just had to find a time when everyone's schedule worked.

"Wanna give Buster his drink?" Josh asked excitedly.

"Yes!" Donna replied as she clapped her hands together and jumped up and down a little.

"K, you give Buster his drink and I will give my Dad his," Josh said as he handed the Puppuccino to Donna.

"C'mere Buster!" Donna said as she took off her mittens and crouched down. Noah released Buster's leash as he came barreling happily over to Donna.

"Good boy!" she said encouragingly as he lapped up his drink. Donna stroked his head with her shaking right hand as she held the cup with her left. Buster gobbled up his treat within seconds.

"Here lemme take the cup, and here's a napkin for his nose," Josh said as he let Donna and Buster have some time together. Noah came to stand next to Josh, as he gave him the bag with his winter coat and picture. Buster placed his paw on Donna's shaking hand, and she grabbed onto his paw, gently shaking it. It made both Josh and Noah a little emotional, knowing that Buster knew exactly what Donna needed and where she was hurting the most. Noah placed his arm around his son's shoulder, knowing that the scene in front of them was affecting Joshua greatly. His son had always cared so much about those he loved. He also knew that there was a hole in Josh's heart from his sister's death and that he still carried the guilt. Noah knew that Donna would help heal Josh as he would help her heal, because that's what two people do when they are Bashert.

"Buster, is this a formal introduction? I didn't get one last time, you just went right for the hug!" Donna laughed as she scratched behind his ears, then leaning forward to give him a hug. Buster placed his big-dog head on Donna's shoulder, tongue and tail wagging. Josh watched in amazement as Donna's still trembling hand began to still more and more with each passing moment as she pet Buster, until her hand stilled completely.

"Okay Buster, you probably gotta go home. Bedtime I bet, and your brother has to study, right Pumpkin Patch?" Donna asked Josh as she gave Buster a kiss on the top of his head and stood up, still holding Buster's leash.

"Oh Pumpkin Patch! Yeah, I can see that!" Noah said as he looked at Josh and grinned, dimples coming out.

"What?! Dad what do you mean? You can see what?! What's Pumpkin Patch?! Daaaaaad!" Josh whined.

Noah and Donna just laughed. "You'll figure it out in time, son. I'm sure. Donna it was wonderful to see you again," Noah said as he gave her a hug.

"You too Noah, thank you again for bringing this guy his jacket and of course, Buster, and oh I need to see this photo!" Donna said excitedly.

"You are very welcome Donna. Thank you for taking care of him this past week. And oh, that reminds me. Joshua, your mom brought you Matzo Ball Soup. It's in the bottom of the bag, wrapped separately so your jacket doesn't smell like soup. Donna, she wants to teach you how to make it.

"I look forward to it Noah! Please tell Miriam that for me."

"I absolutely will."

"Thanks Dad, and thank Mom for me."

"Of course pal," Noah said as he hugged Josh. "You did good tonight son, you're so good to her, I'm proud of you, of the man you have become," Noah whispered as he held his son in their embrace.

"Thanks Dad," Josh said, as he began to feel the rush of his emotions come to life.

"You're welcome Josh. Now say goodbye to your brother!" Noah added to lighten the mood.

"Bye Buster! Don't keep trying to eat Dad's wallet, okay? Be a good boy!" Josh said as he scratched Buster behind his ears.

"Say bye, Buster!" Noah added.

"Woof!" - Buster

"Good job!" Everyone gave their praise at once.

"Take care you two," Noah waved as he and Buster walked down the block to the car.

Josh and Donna walked back into Cabbot's with their arms wrapped around each other, both smiling and laughing. He put his bag on the coffee bar, and placed his hands on her hips. He was delighted when hers came up to rest on his chest. "Donnatella Moss, how about I ditch my study group and move over to the coffee bar, and we can share a big bowl of Matzo Ball Soup, and I can tell you about the childhood picture my Dad gave me," he said excitedly, as he rubbed his hands up and down her sides.

"That sounds perfect, Joshua. Thank you for turning my bad day into a wonderful night," she told him affectionately, as she moved her hands to the back of his neck, running her fingers through his soft curls.

"Anything for you Donnatella, anything."

They sat at the coffee bar together holding hands until close, sharing Matzo Ball Soup and a blueberry muffin, looking at Josh's childhood photo, talking, and laughing together. Josh was overjoyed to see Donna's radiant smile come back and to hear her laugh. He loves her laugh. Josh also read Donna the letter his mom had attached to the soup:

B'NEE,

I know you have the wonderful Donnatella, WHO I WANT TO MEET, who cares about you and is making you soup, but you will always be my baby boy and I will always make you food xoxo.

Love, Mami

P.S. Please tell Donnatella again that I will teach her how to make Matzo Ball Soup. And I'm hoping VERY SOON!"

Of course, they invited Oscar over for some soup, and he was officially a fan of it. After Donna and Cody had cleaned up and everyone had long since left, Josh gently took Donna's hand, and asked her if he could walk her home. She smiled and his dimples immediately appeared as they left Cabbot's hand in hand. Josh of course, had his winter jacket on.


	15. Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want

Thank you all so much for the story follows, messages, and comments! They put a smile on my face :) This chapter has a lot of J/D sweetness, but it is also an emotional chapter since we are getting closer to Donna telling Josh what happened to her. Again, this is another long chapter, perfect for the weekend!

Josh's week had been amazing. The best week he's had since starting law school, he thought. Every night, he had had the pleasure of walking Donna home after work. Of course, Josh had been concerned knowing that she had walked home by herself every night these past weeks. Hell if he had known, he would have taken her home every night since the day they met.

Donna lived relatively close to Josh's apartment, not more than a fifteen minute walk. It was hard saying good night, so they fell into a slow pace on the way home, just to enjoy each others company a little longer. The first two nights, Josh didn't have gloves for their walk, and Donna had immediately noticed as they stepped outside Cabbot's Monday night, "Donna, my hands aren't cold. I wanna hold hands," He had insisted, but Donna was relentless, "Sorry Pumpkin Patch, but no gloves means hands stay in pockets. You're just getting over being sick. Here, put your hands in your pockets and I will link my arm through yours, compromise." He couldn't argue with that, there was no room for negotiation anyway.

On Wednesday night, he looked at her sheepishly, "Donna I forgot my gloves again."

"Pumpkin Patch, what am I gonna do with you? I need to glue those gloves to your jacket."

"Yeah but if you glue them, then I can't wear them you see . . ."

"Are you being a little bratty, Joshua?" She asked as she tilted her head to the side and gave him a slow smile.

"No, no. Just saying that umm, glue won't work," he said as he flashed his dimples.

"What would work, Joshua? Because asking you to bring gloves doesn't seem to be doing the trick."

"Maybe ummm if you bring them and keep them in your bag?"

Donna smiled as she whipped out a pair of navy blue gloves from her tote,"Great minds think alike," she said as she tossed him the gloves.

They had talked about whatever came to mind on their nightly walks: Yale, Harvard, art, law school, Cabbot's, home, music, food. Donna heard all about Josh's enthusiasm for Bruce Springsteen and the Doobie Brothers and Josh heard all about Donna's love for Duran Duran, Billy Joel, and her guilty pleasure, New Kids on the Block. They had bantered over movies and politics. Donna saw another glimpse of Josh's passion for the subject. She had heard his fervor for politics a few times at Cabbot's when he was addressing his study group, but listening to him one on one was purely something else. Donna loved his enthusiasm, and she couldn't help but feel more excited about politics too.

"Healthcare Josh, we need better healthcare. For everyone. It needs to be accessible." She had said it with as much passion as Josh had for politics in general. This subject was important to her, he could tell.

"We'll get there Donna. I promise you, I will do whatever I can to make it happen," he had said to her Friday night as they stopped walking and he grabbed both of her hands and gave them a squeeze.

"I know you will," she whispered, placing her hands on his cheeks.

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On Monday morning, Josh didn't have to hear the unrelenting noise from his alarm clock. It was Columbus Day and there were no classes scheduled. Study group was still on for the night, as everyone had agreed to use it as a review session for last week's material and the assigned reading between October 7th and October 21st.

"Day 15," Josh said aloud and smiled as he stretched and slowly made his way out of bed. It had become his routine to acknowledge the countdown first thing every morning. Making his way to the kitchen, Josh brewed some coffee and poured an oversized bowl of Lucky Charms, tossing the box back in the cabinet in front of the Raisin Bran that his mom bought him a few months ago. The box was still unopened, and would more than likely remain that way. He would eat a lot of things that his mom pushed him to have, but Raisin Bran was not one of them. Once the coffee brewed, he grabbed himself a mug and turned on CNN. The Union of Democratic Forces just defeated the Bulgarian Socialist Party in the Bulgarian Parliamentary Election, which meant that there were no more communist governments in Eastern Europe. By the time Josh had picked up his coffee and made his way to the couch, the topic had changed to domestic coverage on continued efforts to help those affected by Hurricane Bob. He listened for a little while as he sipped his coffee, until deciding it was time to read his Tort Law books to prepare for study group.

After reading for a few hours, throwing in some laundry, and pushing himself to use the workout room downstairs, Josh showered, brushed his teeth, and threw on his maroon crew neck sweater and winter jacket. He was about to walk out the front door when he realized he still had wet hair. He paused and chuckled a little, thinking about how Donna would admonish him for going outside with wet hair. "No, that won't do," he said as he smiled, dropped his backpack, and ran back to his bathroom to run the towel through his hair until it was almost completely dry. He gave himself a once over in the mirror, trying to control his wild hair, "Well, there isn't much I can do about that," he said with a shrug and laughing softly as he picked up his backpack, turned the lights off, and headed to Cabbot's.

She looked stunning he thought, as he walked inside and headed right for the coffee bar, not stopping to drop his backpack or jacket off at the table. Her light blue sweater brought out the deepest blue in her eyes, her lips looked incredibly soft and kissable, her silky hair cascaded down her back, her freckles twinkled against her fair skin. God, he just wanted to kiss her right then and there, run his hands through her hair, hold her close to him. He wanted to place her hand on his heart, so she could know how she made him feel.

"Hi," it was the only word he could manage. Wasn't the first time Donna Moss had this effect on Josh Lyman.

"Hey you. I brought you grilled chicken and vegetables tonight, I figured it was a nice change from a salad. I got your coffee right here and because it's a Monday, a blueberry muffin," she winked at him.

"Thanks Blue Eyes," he said, eyes shining as he looked at her. "I like your necklace and your earrings, and umm your sweater, and well, everything about you . . ." Josh was feeling bashful and bold at the same time. He felt his heart pounding fiercely, deep within his chest.

"Josh," she replied quietly, moved by his words. "Thank you," she continued to say as she reached for his hand. He immediately took it, running his thumb along her palm. Josh could tell that the day off from classes had been relaxing for her and he loved that. Just a little rest had an incredible effect on her health and well-being.

"LYMAN! Tort law time, get over here! Let Donna do her job!" Kevin's voice crashed over them. Josh couldn't help the eye roll that he let loose.

"Chalkboards first," he said to Donna as he reluctantly let go of her hand to grab his chalkboard from his backpack, immediately missing the feel of her fingers against his own.

"K. Per our discussion last night, I drew my version, I'm curious to see yours."

"Oh mine is very accurate Donnatella, even Buster agrees."

"I'm not so sure about that. . ."

"On three, flip. One . . . Two . . . Three!" They both flipped their chalkboards, immediately shaking their heads at one another.

"No Josh, that's NOT what the food pyramid looks like."

"Well it's what my food pyramid looks like and what Buster's looks like."

"Josh, you have no fruits or vegetables on there."

"And you have too many on yours!"

"Joshua, Josh, Josh. Mine is the ACTUAL food pyramid, like what they teach in school. Yours is just coffee, muffins/bagels, pizza, hamburgers, and sugary cereal. Buster's, according to your notes, is just gefilte fish, your dad's leather wallet, pizza, and dog bones. Buster needs fruits and vegetables too Joshua! Although I must say, good job with your block lettering where it says: Joshua and Buster Lyman's Food Pyramids. Day 15!"

"Thanks, I took a lot of time on that."

"I can tell. You must have practiced."

"Next week teach me how to draw Buster, I've graduated from block letters."

"Deal. Now go study."

"Ah-kay Donna. But "The Great Food Pyramid Debate" is NOT over."

"Far from over Joshua, far from over. Oh, and Josh? I like your hair, and well, everything about you . . ." she said as she smiled, giving him a little wave as she walked towards the other end of the coffee bar.

All Josh could do was look at her with a giddy smile. Hearing his words repeated back to him left him speechless. "She likes everything about me," Josh whispered to himself while walking over to his table.

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An hour passed quickly. The main focus from last week carried over, automobile accidents as both torts and criminal acts. They were about to move on to this week's assigned reading when the door opened and a kind, older looking man and his wife walked inside, carrying a large box.

"Good evening everyone! May I please have your attention for a few moments? . . . I hope you all are enjoying your beverages and pastries. We plan on getting the fireplace going in early November, and we will be adding a few couches over there. The reason Mrs. Cabbot and I stopped by this evening, is to wish one of our baristas a very special, happy birthday.

This piqued Josh's interest. It must be Cody's birthday. But then again, him and Donna had actually never talked about their birthdays. The topic just never came up. Is it possible that today is her birthday? He wondered.

"This particular barista," Mr. Cabbot continued, "has been a tremendous addition to our staff, and is absolutely loved by everyone. She works hard, never says no to picking up a shift for a teammate, she is a true joy to work with, and always has a wonderful chalkboard drawing or message! Donnatella Moss, please come out here so we can all wish you a Happy 21st Birthday!" Cheers erupted as almost everyone in Cabbot's stood up and clapped, shouting "Happy birthday Donna!" as she walked by.

"Feliz Cumpleanos, Donna!" Oscar shouted next to Josh as he cupped his mouth to help his voice carry. Kevin, Keith, Mark, and Phil all drummed their hands on the table, shouting, "Happy birthday!"

Josh stood there smiling and clapping. He couldn't believe it was her birthday! He was absolutely getting her a gift tomorrow. It was his number one priority, and he already had the perfect gift in mind.

He could tell that she was a little embarrassed by all the attention. She was blushing and was wearing a shy smile. Josh could see she was just a little hesitant about walking to the middle of the coffee house, where the Cabbot's had placed the box down and started lighting candles.

"Gather around, we have plenty of cake!" Mrs. Cabbot said joyfully as she pulled out plates and forks. Josh wasted no time jogging over to Donna's side, with Oscar right behind him. He placed his hand on the small of her back while whispering in her ear, "Happy 21st birthday Donnatella, I hope you have a wonderful birthday."

"Thank you Josh," she whispered back, leaning into him and giving him a smile that matched his own.

The chorus of "Happy Birthday" started when all the candles were lit. When the Cabbot's yelled, "Make a wish!" Donna looked at Josh quickly, and with a smile she grabbed his hand, leaned forward, and blew out all the candles. Cheers erupted.

"Alright Donna, Mrs. Cabbot and I are giving you the rest of your evening off. Now eat a piece of cake and go celebrate, birthday girl!"

"Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Cabbot. But you don't need to give me the night off. I can't leave Cody by himself."

"Yes you can, and you will. Cody can handle it," Mr. Cabbot said, smiling at Donna.

"Yes, you deserve a night off Donna. You work so hard sweetheart, and it's your birthday-your 21st birthday! Plus, it looks like this handsome young man would like to take you out," Mrs. Cabbot said as she smiled at Josh.

"I would love to take you out for your birthday, Donnatella," Josh said as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Looks like their first date had been moved up five days, Josh happily thought to himself. Even though he didn't have a plan for the evening, he didn't care. Their first date was happening tonight.

"I would like that very much Josh, our park date will be a lovely second date." Her smile spoke volumes.

Before they could get too giddy about their date, Kevin, Phil, Keith, and Mark bulldozed through the crowd to reach Josh and Donna. Grins displayed across their faces.

"Donna, Donna, you gotta let us take you out. Our whole group. Well almost our whole group," Kevin said eagerly.

"Yes! It isn't every day we get to celebrate a 21st birthday! Oh man, Kev we gotta take her to McPherson's Irish Pub. Remember last time?" Keith asked excitedly.

"Yeah that place is good." Kevin added.

"Oh we could totally take her to the diner first, the one down the road with the really good fries!" Mark interrupted, anticipation filling his voice.

"Oh it has been so long since I've gone out, this will be so much fun!" Linda came from out of nowhere and added.

"I think Josh and Donna want to go out alo-" Oscar started to say alone, before Donna cut in.

"Sure guys, whatever you want to do."

"Yes! Oh my God yes! This is perfect, we didn't have class today, so it isn't like we needed to study anyway. We all did the assigned reading. God, I haven't been out in weeks." Kevin added, sounding almost exasperated.

While the study group busied themselves with discussing the evening plans, Donna whispered to Josh, "I'm so sorry, they just seemed so excited and I didn't want to take that away from them."

He just looked at her and smiled. She was always thinking about other people first. She really was the kindest person he had ever met. "It's okay Blue Eyes. I still get to see you tonight and celebrate your birthday with you, that's all that matters."

"But I need you to know Josh, I'm really looking forward to our first date on Saturday," her eyes twinkling at the thought of it.

"Me too Donna, me too," his dimples easily proving his point.

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Everyone ate their slice of confetti birthday cake at the study group's table. It took Amy all of fifteen seconds to pack up her things, get up, and leave. "I'm not here to eat cake and celebrate birthdays, I'm here to study. Have fun on the final when you reach this portion of the exam. I don't think "birthday cake" and "irish pubs" will be the answers to any questions," she snapped, before turning to walk away. Josh, wanting the evening to be nothing but fun and about Donna's birthday, made sure that Amy's comment was ignored by just quickly changing topics, "So should we go to the diner first? Someone said something about good fries? And I think someone might want a piece of chocolate cake," he whispered that last part to Donna.

Oscar, understanding Josh's urgency to change the conversation, immediately added, "Yes! Fries, shakes, and mozzarella sticks! Let's do it!" And with that, everyone got up to leave Cabbot's for the rest of the evening.

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The group of eight sat in a large corner booth at the diner. Conversation flowed about hometowns, high school and college memories, why law school, favorite food, home cooked meals they missed, and the upcoming world series. Josh was absolutely okay with missing game one of the series, since he would be on his first date with Donna. The two of them sat close, with Josh's arm draped around Donna's shoulders as they shared a piece of chocolate cake, a rootbeer float, and a basket of french fries. Josh could not for the life of him, understand the fascination that Donna and Oscar had with dipping french fries into Oscar's chocolate shake.

"It's so good mi amigo, don't knock it until you try it!" Oscar said as he stuck a french fry deep into his shake, covering it in chocolate.

"I will uhhh take your word for it."

"Looks like this doesn't fit into your food pyramid, huh Pumpkin Patch?" Donna whispered to Josh, as she picked up another fry, submerged it in the shake, and bit into it. She tipped her head back and gave a satisfied, "mmmm, delicious," as she enjoyed the fry.

"As much as I like to see you enjoy something Blue Eyes, that food combination will never make it into my food pyramid."

"So does that mean you won't kiss me anytime after I eat this?" She asked in a playfully sad tone, giving him a pout. God, she was talking about kissing, and it was taking all his strength not to just give in and kiss her right there. Instead, he placed both of his hands on her cheeks and played into their ravenous banter, as he gently rubbed his nose against hers and whispered, "So tell me, Donnatella, when is all this kissing gonna happen?" He quickly backed away before all the kissing started to happen right then and there.

He thought he had won that round, until she fired back with, "Oh Joshua, the kissing could have been happening any night that you walked me home this past week . . ." She winked at him and he dropped his spoonful of root beer and ice cream onto the table, causing a giggle from Donna. He took a deep breath and looked at her, his face frozen, his mind still on the kissing, this only caused her to giggle more as she affectionately started to rub his back.

"What is going on, on that side of the table? What the hell are you two talking about?" Keith asked with interest as he pointed a mozzarella stick at Josh and Donna.

"That's an A and B conversation Keith!" Linda said as she snickered a little and took another sip of her vanilla shake.

"What's that mean? I don't get it."

"An A and B conversation, one you need to "C" your way out of . . . as in none of your business."

"That sounds like something my sister would say, she's a sophomore in high school," Mark jumped in.

"Sounds about right. I picked it up from my little brother, he's a junior. I thought it was clever." Linda said as she dipped her fry in her shake. "What, I like to dip fries in ice cream too," she added when Josh gave her a look of disgust as she dipped her fry.

"You're outnumbered on this one Josh. The jury quickly deliberated, and the verdict is in- dipping fries in shakes is in fact, delicious!" Everyone gave a little chuckle at Oscar's courtroom joke.

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After the diner, they made the short walk to McPherson's Irish Pub. It wasn't too crowded on a Monday night, but busy enough, with the loud sounds of Depeche Mode crashing through the air. Josh noticed Donna wince and cover her ears quickly when she first walked in and heard the music. He immediately started to worry, maybe loud music gave her headaches? He wondered, thinking about the scar on her neck. It might be too loud for her in here, maybe they should go somewhere else? He looked into her eyes and could see that she was a little apprehensive. The music was definitely bothering her.

"It's pretty loud in here, huh? Ya wanna go somewhere else?" Josh asked as he softly rubbed up and down her arms, hoping to ease her discomfort.

"Yeah it's loud, but your classmates are excited to be here, and they already started to order their drinks," Donna noted as she looked over her shoulder at the group.

"It's not their birthday though, it's yours, I want you to be happy."

That made her smile, "I am happy Josh, I'm here with you," she said as she adjusted the lapel of his jacket.

"K, how about I ask the bartender to turn the music down? Ya know, a compromise. We're good at those," he gave her a deep dimpled smile.

"I like that idea Josh, thank you."

He saw her take a deep, relieving breath as the bartender turned down the volume.

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"Donna, you gotta let me buy you a beer. This beautiful lady is 21 tonight!" Kevin shouted. Of course, this got the attention of the other patrons and bartender, who started shouting, clapping, and banging on the counter. Josh immediately noticed Donna tighten her grip on his hand and lean into him. He felt his protective instinct for her start to kick in.

"I wanna buy Donna her first beer!" Kevin continued.

"Kevin, that honor belongs to Josh, you buy Linda a beer," Oscar stepped in.

"Yeah that makes sense. LINDA! What beer you want?!"

"You okay?" Josh asked, addressing the concern he was feeling.

"Yeah, ummm, I . . . I . . ." She took a deep breath and paused. Josh wanted to let her know that she could tell him anything, so he gently rubbed her arms and shoulders, giving her an encouraging smile.

"I want a beer, but I just can't drink that much, because of my medication for this," she said as she turned around and pointed to the scar on her neck.

"That's okay Donna," he said quietly with a dimpled smile, pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms around her waist. "You wanna split one with me? You can have as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. We can have something light."

"K," she said, giving him that smile, the one meant only for Josh Lyman.

They decided on a Corona that they passed back and forth. Josh perched on one of the bar stools, Donna standing just off to his side. He rested one hand on her hip and the other held on to the beer that he would take a swig of and then pass to Donna, who took small sips and passed it back to Josh as they chatted mainly with Oscar and Phil. As Donna offered him the last sip, the soft, melodic sounds of The Dream Academy's rendition of "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" drifted through McPherson's.

"Dance with me, Donnatella? Josh asked softly as he rubbed his hand lightly against her waist.

"I would love to, Joshua," she said warmly, turning to him and grabbing his hand.

He finished the last small sip of beer and placed it on the counter as they walked hand in hand over to a small dance floor.

They fit together perfectly. Josh's arms wrapped around Donna's back as his cheek brushed against hers. Her arms draped around his neck, hands settling in the curls at the base of Josh's neck, swaying slowly to the music:

"Good time for a change

See, the luck I've had

Can make a good man

Turn bad"

Donna moved her head to rest on his shoulder as her hand found a home on his chest. Josh continued to hold her close, his eyes closed, feeling more content than he had ever felt in his life:

"So please please please

Let me, let me, let me

Let me get what I want

This time"

Josh started to quietly sing to Donna, as he moved her hand over his heart, holding it there with his own:

"Haven't had a dream in a long time

See, the life I've had

Can make a good man bad

So for once in my life

Let me get what I want

Lord knows, it would be the first time

Lord knows, it would be the first time"

"I love this song, Josh," she whispered in his ear as their cheeks brushed together again.

"Me too, Donna," he said as he looked into her blue eyes and then at her soft, kissable lips, before leaning his forehead against hers and taking a deep breath, "Donna all I want to do is kiss you right now, but forgive me for holding off, I don't want our first kiss to be in a bar." He gave her a nervous smile, before looking into her eyes again.

"You really are very sweet, Joshua Lyman. And just so you know," she said in a soft whisper, looking into his brown eyes, "All I want is for you to kiss me, and I forgive you for holding off, I don't want our first kiss to be in a bar either. I prefer a park or a good night kiss at my doorstep," she gave him a luminous smile as they enjoyed the rest of their first dance.

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"Happy birthday, Donnatella," he said affectionately as the melody slowly drifted away.

Donna ran her hand over his cheek, "Thank you, this was my favorite part of my birthday Joshua."

"It was my favorite part of your birthday too," he smiled as he wrapped his arm around her waist, walking back towards the bar.

"You have a nice voice Josh, I like listening to you sing."

"My mom made me take lessons when I was a kid. For the first time ever, I'm glad she did, since it ya know, helps with the wooing."

"The wooing?"

"Yupp. I'm wooing you Donnatella."

"Singing, cake, french fries, dancing, Matzo Ball Soup, walking me home, I think you've got this woo thing down."

"And it doesn't hurt that I have an adorable yellow lab for a wingman."

"No that doesn't hurt at all, bonus points for having Buster!"

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They stayed at McPherson's for another hour or so. Donna drank a diet coke followed by a few glasses of water. Josh stuck with root beer, having a taste for it after having shared their float earlier.

"All I'm saying, is that it's a good thing Nintendo is releasing the next Zelda game so close to the semester being over. That's my project over winter break," Kevin said as he finished his beer.

"How long did it take you to beat Super Mario World?" Oscar asked.

"Ugh, maybe like three weeks? I had trouble getting through the "Forest of Illusion".

"Yeah, the castle in that world was tough," Donna added, sipping her water.

"Wait? You play Mario? Kevin asked, clearly impressed.

"Jesus, she really is perfect . . ." Mark muttered.

"Yeah. My brothers got it last August, and we played together for a few weeks before I moved to New Haven. I liked Blue Yoshi best, you know with the wings? He's so cute."

"Jooosh, can I please have-"

"No. No way," he cut Oscar off with a smile on his face. Josh was going to have to buy a Super Nintendo and fast. He actually wanted one, just never had time to play. Now, he had more of a reason to get one. He couldn't help but picture the two of them in his apartment late at night, Donna getting excited as they finally beat some difficult level, wearing a pair of his boxers and Mets t-shirt, jumping into his arms, wrapping herself around him, celebrating their victory. Yeah, he was definitely buying a Super Nintendo.

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Josh helped Donna into her peacoat, and wrapped her pink scarf around her as she worked on the buttons, her fingers and hand as steady as can be, he happily noticed. "Let's get those ears covered," Josh said as he carefully put her winter hat on.

"K, but you need your gloves too," Donna said as she slipped his navy blue gloves onto his hands, and then walked outside hand in hand.

"Oh it got chilly out!" Donna leaned against Josh for warmth.

"Josh, Donna, ride with me and Oscar, it's cold and we're all going in the same direction," Kevin called out a few feet ahead.

"How are you guys getting home?" Donna asked the rest of the group, her concern for other people at the forefront of her mind.

"Oh, I'm driving," Linda said happily as she pulled out her keys.

The two groups waved goodbye as they split into different directions.

"That's my car right there," Kevin said pointing to his Black Jeep Cherokee.

Donna instantly stopped in her tracks, just looking at the jeep, her face paled.

"You okay?" Josh asked, squeezing her hand a little, concern filling his voice.

"Yeah," she barely managed a whisper. "Yeah, I'm okay." But Josh saw the deep breath she took, and could tell she was trying to put on a brave face and hide her distress.

"You sure?"

She nodded her head and gave a quiet, "Yes."

"Birthday girl, you want shotgun?" Kevin asks as he unlocks the doors.

"No thanks Kevin, I'm gonna sit next to this guy," she said as she looked at Josh with a smile. But Josh could tell, that even though she genuinely wanted to sit next to him, she also needed comfort. At this point, he was very concerned about Donna, and on the verge of panic. He could see right through her brave face, she was scared.

Josh opened her door, letting Donna slide in first as he followed. He sat in the middle, to be as close to her as possible. He saw her bite her lip as she put her seatbelt on, giving him a smile, but it was in no way reassuring to Josh. He took his gloves off and wrapped his arm around her. He then turned slightly to the side and with his other hand took her now shaking hand and started to rub soothingly circles as Kevin turned on the jeep and headed down the road. Josh could feel how rigid Donna was, nothing about this car ride was relaxing to her, in fact it was quite the opposite.

"Josh?" She eventually whispered.

"Mmmm?" he looked at her, and scared no longer accurately described Donna's demeanor. She was terrified.

"How many drinks did Kevin have?" Her eyes were pleading with his. It broke his heart. Something about this car ride frightened her.

"Boys, what did you drink tonight?"

"Two Heinekens," Oscar said as he quickly put up two fingers.

"Two Sam Adams and a Blue Moon," Kevin said as he threw up three fingers on his right hand.

Instantly, Josh felt Donna grip his hand hard. He's looking at her as the panic washes over her face, through her body. She looks like she's dizzy, and she's starting to sweat. She's holding back tears with everything she has, but he sees one slip. Josh frames her face as he gently strokes her cheeks with his thumbs. It's all coming together. He knows now that her trauma has to do with alcohol and more than likely, a car accident. And somehow, loud music was involved; Josh remembered her reaction at McPherson's.

"Hey Kev, can you drop Donna and I off here? We're gonna go for a walk." Kevin's oblivious to the situation in the backseat, but Oscar's concerned, Josh can see his face in the rearview mirror. "It's okay, I've got her," Josh mouthed to Oscar, who nodded his head in understanding.

"Sure thing Josh," Kevin said as he pulled off to the side of the road. "See you guys later, happy birthday Donna!"

"I know you'll take good care of her," Oscar said quietly after rolling down the passenger window. "Tell her happy birthday for me."

"I will Oscar."

And with that, Kevin drove off down the road.

Josh turned to Donna and immediately started rubbing her shoulders. She's starting to cry, and it's breaking his heart into a million pieces.

"Hey, hey it's okay, It's okay. C'mere," he said soothingly as he gently squeezed her hand. She fell into his arms and he quickly wrapped her up. Josh held her close, inhaling her scent, one hand rubbing her back, the other stroking her long blonde hair. "Shhhhh, breathe, it's okay, you're okay. I've got you. Just breathe. In and out, good job." They stood there quietly for a few minutes, as Donna cried into his arms and worked to get her breathing under control.

"I'm here, whenever you're ready Donna, I'm here for you. I've been here for you, since day one."

"I shouldn't be here, Josh. I shouldn't be alive," she said through her tears and shaky breaths. "I should have died. That's what my doctors said, all of them. But I didn't. I'm here. I'm so tired of holding this in. I'm ready to tell you."


	16. The Reveal

Hey there! This chapter took me a little longer to write and post, but I already have most of the next chapter complete, so that will be posted within the next few days :) Thanks again for reading!

Also, as a heads up, there is a bit more profanity in this chapter, just in a couple of paragraphs though.

"Do you want to sit down on that bench over there?" Josh asked softly, while gently wiping her tears away with his thumbs. Donna closed her eyes and nodded in agreement. They got comfortable on the bench as Josh wrapped his arm around her, keeping her close.

"You can tell me as much or as little as you feel comfortable with Donna," he whispered as he tucked her long blond hair behind her shoulder. She took his hand and held it in both of hers, helping her find both comfort and confidence. "Everything, Josh. I want to tell you everything. I don't want to keep anything from you." She looked at him, her blue eyes still glistening from fallen tears.

"Take your time Donna. And if you need to take a break, or decide you don't want to talk about everything tonight, that's okay too." Josh squeezed her hand gently as they continued to look into each other's eyes. It was only a few more moments before Donna took a deep breath, and began her story.

"Your life can change in an instant. All it takes is one decision," she said as she looked down with a self-deprecating smile. She blamed herself, Josh could tell. She was carrying guilt. He already wanted to wrap her up in his arms, tell her it wasn't her fault, but he knew he had to let her continue.

"It happened this past May. I will never forget the date, it's burned into my mind, it was Wednesday the 29th, just a little after one o'clock in the morning. I had just finished my double shift at the diner. And I was . . . I was so tired Josh. Between work and finishing my finals, I was running on almost no sleep. I don't even know how I made it through my shift that night." Donna paused for a moment, and took another deep breath before continuing. "Michael was picking me up. He had groaned about it earlier that morning, saying that he was exhausted from finals. He told me to get a ride from a co-worker or walk home. I tried to find a ride home, but it didn't work out. And the walk, well it was four miles to my parents house. My dorm was close by, but I had already moved out for the summer. I basically had to beg him to pick me up. "Fine Donna. I will pick you up after work, but I hope you know how inconvenient this is. I'm exhausted, way more tired than you. Your liberal arts finals and classes are nowhere near as difficult as medical school. I mean you paint little pictures all day long, which aren't even that good, and you read books for crying out loud. How fucking difficult can that be? Why are you so tired? You have no reason to be. And I'm not going to have time to pick you up this summer with my internship at my uncle's practice." I apologized for inconveniencing him and told him I would find another way home for the summer months. He suggested I ride my bike every day."

Josh was livid. Absolutely furious. Who the hell did this Michael guy think he was? How dare he belittle her. And how dare he suggest Donna ride her bike home every day. How could this guy possibly be okay with her riding her bike in the middle of the night!? And how could he not find the time to drive this beautiful woman home!? There was no way his internship ran past 5pm. Josh would have loved to drive her home, to spend as much time with her as he could. He thought back to the chalkboard drawing from "Day 1 of 19", when he first drew Jacob and Daniella. Now Josh understood why Donna was so adamant about Jacob not being a medical student, why her whole demeanor had changed when he had playfully mentioned it that day at Cabbot's. He took a deep breath to calm himself, he didn't want to get upset in front of Donna, this was about her right now, she needed to tell her story.

"So he picked me up . . . he picked me up in his black Jeep Cherokee," her words came out barely a whisper.

Josh's body tightened instantly. He felt like he had been punched. "Oh Donna, Donna I'm so sorry," he said, pausing to bring her hand to his lips and give it a soft kiss. "I'm so sorry, Kevin's jeep, baby I'm sorry." He couldn't apologize enough as he gave her hand another tender kiss.

"Oh Josh, please don't apologize. There is no way you could have known that Kevin had the same jeep as Michael."

"I know, but . . ."

"Josh," she placed her hands on his cheeks, looking deep into his eyes, "It's not your fault Josh. It was purely a coincidence."

"I just hate that something bad happened to you."

"I know, I hate that something bad happened too. But you know what Josh?"

"What, Blue Eyes?"

"Something good happened to me too . . ."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"You, Josh," she smiled as she brushed her thumbs against his cheeks and then ran her hands through his wavy hair, resting them in the curls below his ears, leaning her forehead against his. They stayed like that for a moment, just enjoying the closeness. And although their discussion was sad and hard to talk about, Josh and Donna still couldn't help but smile, smile at the sheer fact that they were sitting on a bench together, sharing an intimate moment.

"Are you ready for me to tell you what happened, Josh?"

"Yes Donna," he said as he took a deep breath, nuzzling her nose with his, before he slowly pulled back, and took her hand in his.

"I could hear Blue Oyster Cult's "I'm Burnin' For You" blaring from inside the jeep as he pulled up. I opened the door and as much as I wanted to ask him to turn the music down, it just wasn't worth the fight. I was just so tired, all I wanted to do was curl up in the passenger seat and close my eyes. I was scheduled to work again that morning. I was working a lot, trying to pay my way through school. Michael always expected me to give him money for this or that. He was well off, his parents paid for medical school, his living expenses, his jeep, even gave him monthly spending money. But for some reason, he always expected me to pay for everything. He'd get upset when he'd ask me for money and I didn't have any. He'd tell me that I needed to work more and to save better. So I worked more."

Josh closed his eyes and counted to five. Again, trying to keep calm. He certainly understood Donna's reaction to the loud music tonight at McPherson's. What was the matter with this asshole ex-boyfriend? How could he treat her like this? Making her work more so that he could have extra money, telling her she needed to save better, blaring music at one in the morning when she was exhausted.

Donna continued, "I missed it . . . I was just so tired, I couldn't focus or concentrate, that I missed it." She paused and looked him in the eyes, "I missed that he was drunk, Josh. I made the decision to get in that jeep. Had I been paying more attention, had I been able to focus, I would have noticed he was drunk, and I would have made a different decision. So there is a big part of me that feels like what happened is my fault," she put her hand over her mouth and stifled her cry, fresh tears starting to cascade down her cheeks.

This time he didn't hold back from taking her into his arms and holding her. Josh needed the comfort and and so did Donna. They needed each other, plain and simple.

"It's not your fault Donna. It's not your fault." He continued to hold her, rubbing her back, whispering words of reassurance.

Donna sniffled a little as she pulled back, taking Josh's hand, ready to keep going.

"I shut my eyes and immediately dozed off, but I woke up when I felt the jeep speed up and swerve hard. I remember turning the music down, and asking Michael to slow down. "Don't touch the controls Donna. You know how I don't like you messing with the music. What's the matter with you?" That's when I really knew he was drunk Josh. His words were slurred. Before I could say anything, before I could ask him to pull over, he turned the music back up, louder this time. And then, then I felt him hit the gas even harder. We were going fifty-five in a thirty-five. I was so scared Josh. And then it was sixty-five, and I screamed as loud as I could over the music for him to stop. He just kept going, and then he swerved, lost control, and the jeep flipped over, rolling twice before slamming into a tree on the passenger side." Donna took a deep breath and swiped at her falling tears before quickly continuing, "I was just laying there, it was eerily quiet, and I couldn't see anything. Everything was black. I couldn't talk, I couldn't open my mouth to scream. I was in shock and I was in so much pain. It must have been a few minutes later when I heard Michael unbuckle his seatbelt. I thought for sure he was going to help me, even though he was intoxicated, I thought that he was still cognizant enough to help me. He was a medical student, he was going to help me, right?" Josh couldn't help the tears that were falling down his cheeks as he listened to Donna's story and heard the pain behind her words.

"Instead . . . instead I heard him say, "Oh shit I killed her." And then all of a sudden he screamed in anger, "FUCK! My fucking arm is bleeding! Oh fuck this better not have cut deep to the nerve. Shit, how in the hell am I gonna be able to be a surgeon if my arm has nerve damage?! Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT! Shit I'm bleeding all over the place. I need to get out of here and clean myself up. Fuck it's dark out." And that was it. I heard him get out of the jeep and walk away. I found out later that he was arrested for reckless driving and leaving the scene of the accident, but his family posted bail and he was released pretty quickly. They did add a drunk driving charge after the blood in the cupholder was tested, but my lawyer said that charge will be contested in court.

I couldn't move. I was laying there in that jeep and I knew I was bleeding to death. I was just waiting to die. Luckily, the ambulance, fire, and police showed up. I don't really have any sense of time, maybe fifteen to twenty minutes after the accident? I heard someone say, "We have a severely injured passenger, go tell the police that she's probably not gonna make it." And then I heard another voice, "Officer Grady, start gathering all the evidence in and around the jeep. This is probably going to turn into a vehicular homicide case. Officer Monroe, the vehicle belongs to a Michael Fischer, here's his address, track him down and question him. I bet you anything he was the driver." The last thing I remember is hearing a woman's voice, "Hold on sweetheart, we're going to do everything we can. Just hold on."

"I was in a coma for nine days, my condition was touch-and-go. I guess when I made it to the hospital, I flatlined on the operating table while the trauma surgeon was trying to save my life. They got my heart started again with a defibrillator. The doctors told my parents to start making funeral arrangements, that things weren't looking good. I wasn't improving. I had so many injuries Josh. I had severe internal bleeding and head trauma. The scar on my neck near the base of my skull? That's from the surgery for my Basilar skull fracture and hematoma. The scar on my right arm? I had a compound fracture that needed to be repaired with screws and a plate. But what made that arm break so terrible was my damaged radial nerve. My hand and fingers were paralyzed for about eight weeks. That's why my hand twitches and shakes. That injury is a slow healing process. I also broke my right foot and four ribs. And lastly, my lungs were collapsed.

But somehow, despite all those injuries, I woke up. After nine days, I woke up. My doctors told me that I should be dead, that I shouldn't have survived, and that luck doesn't even begin to describe it. Because of my head trauma, I have fatigue, nausea, headaches, and trouble sleeping, all of which I take medication for. But I consider myself lucky, the accident didn't affect my personality and I don't have any cognitive impairments.

My doctors wanted me to sleep a lot, since it helps the brain recover from a traumatic event. So most of my summer was spent sleeping and recovering in my bed. I recovered enough to transfer to Yale and well, here I am Josh. That's what happened to me . . ."

Josh couldn't wait another moment to comfort her, to hold her again. "C'mere Blue Eyes," he said quietly as he held his arms out. Donna immediately moved closer to him, nestling into his chest as he held her tight. He rubbed her back and shoulders, and rested his chin on top of her head. "I'm so sorry Donna. I'm so sorry that happened to you. If I could take all your pain away I would, in an instant. If I could go back in time and prevent the accident, I would. I know I can't do either of those things, but I promise that you are always safe with me. I promise I will never put you in harm's way. He looked into her deep, tired blue eyes and with the utmost sincerity said, "Thank you for trusting me . . . Thank you for sharing your story with me Donna."

"Thank you for listening Josh, for being there for me. For caring."

"I care about you so much Donnatella. I can't even put into words how much . . ."

"I know, I understand. I've never cared about someone the way I care about you, Joshua Lyman," she whispered.

"Can I take care of you tonight Donna? I wanna take care of you. Help you sleep. You're probably exhausted from talking about this."

"I would love that Josh."

"Are you okay with sleeping over at my apartment? Or do you want us to go back to your apartment?"

"We can stay at your apartment Josh."

"I can sleep on the couch Donna, I want you to be comfortable and I don't want you to feel like we have to umm ya know share sleeping space and ummm . . ."

"Josh?" She cut him off.

"Mmmmm?"

"You can sleep in your bed too, if you want."

"K," he said, unable to hide his smile.

"I think having you next to me will help me sleep."

"I bet tonight will be the best sleep I've ever had Donnatella."

They smiled at one another as Josh helped Donna off the bench. He picked up his backpack and placed her tote on his shoulder. With their arms wrapped around each other, they walked back to Josh's in comfortable silence, both feeling a weight lifted from their shoulders, and their connection growing even deeper.


	17. Since Day One

Happy Weekend!

I was hoping to upload this chapter earlier this week, but life got busy. I hope you are enjoying the story so far! :)

"Here, lemme' take your coat for you Donna," Josh said as he closed the front door to his apartment, locked up, and placed their bags on the bench.

"Thanks Josh."

"You're welcome Blue Eyes. So this is my apartment," he said while removing her coat from her shoulders and hanging it on the rack, then briskly taking off his own.

"It's cozy in here."

"Yeah I like it. It's actually the first place I've ever lived by myself. I always had a roommate in college or interning on a campaign."

"Do you like living by yourself Josh?"

"Mmmhmm. I don't have to worry about someone else drinking all the milk in the fridge. I can't tell you how many times in college I went to eat Cocoa Puffs and there was no milk . . ."

"Coco Puffs, Joshua?" Donna crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, giving him a bemused look.

"Ummm yeah or ya know, Lucky Charms . . ."

"And if I were to look in your kitchen cabinets right now I would find . . ."

"Both cereals, Blue Eyes, both." He couldn't help the dimpled smile that came across his face and the slight bounce of his feet. He was glad that they could banter a little after the conversation they just had. She was feeling a little better, he could tell.

"Sugary cereal is after all, on my food pyramid."

"Pumpkin Patch, we need to work on that meal planning."

"Five days from now Donnatella. I'm ready for ya know, all the meal planning."

"Well fair warning, Coco Puffs and Lucky Charms aren't part of meal planning."

"Blueberry muffins? Bagels?"

"Mmmm nope and nope."

"Donnnnnnna. That's like half my food pyramid."

"Hmmmmm so it is. Looks like you're gonna have to adopt my food pyramid."

"Well what about Buster?"

"His food pyramid will need some changes too. I will take care of that when your mom teaches me how to make Matzo Ball Soup. We can meal plan for Buster."

Josh reached for Donna's hand and gave her an excited smile, "So when do we get to do that? Maybe we could start planning a time for our little Westport Matzo Ball Soup adventure?" He just couldn't help sounding so eager, the whole idea of bringing her home to his parents house thrilled him.

"I have the weekends off again. So you tell me when." She gave him an exhilarating smile, and Josh was so happy to see it, especially on her birthday, she deserved to smile on her birthday. And although he was relieved to have had their conversation, he hated that she had to relive her trauma on her birthday, absolutely hated it.

"Let me talk to my parents, we will find a weekend that works for everyone. Now . . . Miss Moss," he said as he stepped closer and put his arms around her, "I believe I have the pleasure of taking care of you this evening. It's a little late, and I want to make sure you get your eight hours of sleep. You wanna take a shower and I can get you some pajamas? I will even let you wear my favorite t-shirt," he said as he gently swayed them back and forth.

"K, Josh," Donna quietly answered as she pushed his hair back affectionately. "Your hair is out of control right now, must be from that wind outside."

"It's a little tough to tame. I tried tonight after drying it."

"Mmmm, I'm just glad you dried it. I don't want you getting sick again . . . I love your wild hair Josh," she whispered as she continued to affectionately run her hand through his hair.

"Wait til you see it in the morning Blue Eyes," he said with a grin.

"Looking forward to it Pumpkin Patch."

"I'm gonna try to find you a toothbrush. I think my mom stocked up on all that stuff when I moved in."

"No need, I have one in my bag."

"Yeah?"

"Mmmhmm. I get sick sometimes . . . you know from the nausea and headaches. So I just figured it was easier to always be prepared."

"And here I was, thinking you were planning ahead for our sleepover," Josh said with a grin, and then quickly nuzzling her nose with his own, "But I'm sorry you get sick," he added more seriously as as he ran his hands up and down her arms.

"It's okay Josh. It doesn't happen as often as it used to. For the most part, every day I get better. I have some setbacks here and there. Maybe now is a good time to talk to you about my medication routine?"

"Yeah, I would like that Donna. I wanna know how I can help you. I plan on taking you out a lot and umm sleepovers if you're okay with that."

"Mmmmhmmm, I'm okay with that Josh." She gave him that exhilarating smile again.

"Good," He couldn't help his deep dimpled smile that popped out, partly from her answer and partly from seeing her smile. "Here let's get your bag and go into my bedroom."

o0o0oo0oo0oo0o0o0o0o

They got comfortable on Josh's bed, sitting cross legged and facing each other. Donna grabbed her tote and one by one, started taking prescriptions out of her bag, explaining each to Josh.

"So I take most of my medications when I first wake up. This one is called Phenergan, it's for nausea. My nausea symptoms have really lessened over the months, but when I do feel it, the timing is all over the place. Sometimes I feel it in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, sometimes at night, sometimes I go days without feeling it, and other days it seems like it won't go away. This next one is kind of my life saver. I almost always wake up with a headache, it can range from a dull ache to blinding. And when it's that bad, I can't even open my eyes. So for that, I take Sumatriptan. It's a new drug and it works well for me. Next is Wellbutrin, it manages my chronic fatigue. Unfortunately, it gives me insomnia, which is ironic, given what I use it for. So at night, I take Restoril before I go to bed, it helps me fall asleep and it helps me stay asleep. And lastly, whenever I have nerve pain in my arm, hand, or fingers, I take Ketoprofen. I know it's a lot . . but it's my new normal," she shrugged, like she was just accepting it. "I won't be on these medications forever, but for now, I need them. I hate needing them, but I need them. They make things easier for me." She whispered that last part as she looked down at her hands.

Josh lifted her chin with his hand and met her eyes as he gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay to need these medications Donna. They help you. Your accident was barely four and a half months ago, and you're doing amazing. Take them as long as you need them. In fact, is it time for the sleepy time one?"

"Actually, it is. I keep a water bottle in my bag. I take the Ketoprofen a few times a day, so it's good to have water on hand. Oh, I also keep Saltine crackers with me. If I don't eat a couple while taking my medication, especially in the morning, I end up getting sick. I found that out the hard way . . ."

"I'm gonna buy some, to keep here for you. I don't want you to get sick and I want you to feel like you have everything you need when you come over. And I want to make sure I have your routine down," Josh said as he jumped off the bed and went over to his desk to grab a notebook and pen before promptly hopping back on the bed. "K Blue Eyes, I'm ready. Can you please tell me the names of your medications again?"

o0o0oo0oo0oo0o0o0o0o

After Josh had written everything down and read it out loud to make sure he had everything correct, Donna ate a few Saltine crackers and took her Restoril, which had now been renamed "the sleepy time pill", placed her morning prescriptions, water, and crackers on the nightstand, and made her way into the adjoining bathroom to take a shower. While she was in there, Josh changed into a pair of sweatpants and his Whalers t-shirt then brushed his teeth using the kitchen sink; he knew that the minute Donna came out of the shower and joined him in his bed, that he wouldn't want to get up to brush his teeth. He fluffed the pillows, pulled down the covers, and bounced into bed, grabbing his copy of the "Harvard Political Review" as he happily waited for Donna to finish her shower.

o0o0ooo0o0o0o0o0o0

Donna opened the door and quietly padded into Josh's bedroom, drying her hair gently with an oversized bath towel. In his eyes, she looked perfect in his Mets t-shirt and flannel pajama pants. She looked at Josh and gave him a little smile.

"C'mere Blue Eyes," he whispered as he put his hand on the spot next to him on his bed. Donna crawled onto the bed and fell into Josh's outstretched arms, nestling herself against his chest. As much as he wanted to lay there and talk with her, he knew she needed to sleep after everything she told him.

"Do you need another towel for your hair? I don't want you to fall asleep with wet hair, you might get sick."

"Mmmmm, I should get another one, but I'm so comfortable Josh," she said as she yawned and snuggled closer to him.

"Lemme get you one."

That caused her to pout, and he almost gave in and stayed on the bed, but his concern for her outweighed anything else, it always would.

"I will be back in less than five seconds. I promise."

"Make it less than three."

'K, less than three seconds."

"Is there any spot I should be extra careful of?" He asked as he sat back on the bed, towel in hand.

"Just the base of my skull," she placed his hand near her scar and gently rubbed the area.

"K, I will be extra careful there," he said as he gently started to massage her head with the towel. "Does that feel good Donna?"

"Mmmmhmmm." She wrapped her leg around Josh's and he couldn't help but smile. He loved this. Even though he hated that she was in pain from what happened that night, he loved that she was here with him. He was determined to make her feel better. "Let me know if this feels okay," he asked when he reached the base of her skull, taking more caution than he ever had in his life as he lightly rubbed her head with the towel.

"It's perfect Josh. Thank you."

"Welcome . . . I love making you feel good."

"I'm gonna have to repay the favor. Someone's getting a nice back massage on our next sleepover."

"You can give me a back massage whenever you like Donna, but please don't think that you owe me anything for taking care of you," he said as he stopped drying her hair and looked into her eyes. He meant every word of it.

"K, Josh. Thank you for taking care of me."

"You're welcome. Thank you talking to me earlier, for letting me in. I wanna help you Donna. I'm gonna be here for you, every step of the way. I promise."

"Law School first Joshua."

"No Donna. You're first. Always."

"I am not going to let you miss class to go to a doctor's appointment with me Josh."

"I don't want you to do any of this alone. I want to be there."

"Tell you what. Moving forward, I will make sure all my appointments aren't during your class times, but I'm not changing any of my current appointments. They're too hard to reschedule. If you can go, great. If not, don't worry about it. Deal? Compromise?" She asked with a smile.

"That works Donna, compromise," he gave her a grin as he tossed the towel on the floor. "Now about that back rub, how about I give you one? Help you sleep?"

"Mmmm that sounds nice Josh." She rolled onto her stomach and placed her hands under a pillow.

"Josh?"

"Mmmmm?"

"Do you mind keeping the light on? The one on your nightstand? I ummm, can't sleep without a light on . . . If it bothers you, we can move it over to my side."

"I don't mind at all Donna. I usually end up falling asleep with it on anyway."

"K, thank you Josh."

"You're welcome Blue Eyes," Josh said as he turned on his side and started to rub his hand along her back. "You want me to rub your back or do you want me to scratch it a little, like this?" He asked as he lightly ran his fingernails over the Mets t-shirt.

"That feels good Josh. Keep doing that." Fingernails it was.

After a moment he felt her shift a little and grab the bottom of her shirt. She lifted it up, exposing her skin. Josh's breath caught in his throat.

"Maybe under the shirt would be better?" She asked as she looked at him, giving Josh an encouraging smile.

"I can do that Donna," he flashed her a matching smile. Placing his hand on her back, he started to gently run his fingernails up and down her bare skin. She was warm and soft, Josh loved the way she felt. Her skin was flawless, absolutely beautiful. It wasn't long before he could hear her steady, even breathing; Josh knew she had fallen asleep, and he was so glad it happened when she was relaxed and happy.

Josh continued to rub her back for another ten minutes or so, then gently pulled down Donna's t-shirt. He didn't want her to wake up cold. Grabbing the comforter, he covered the both of them and nestled down. He stroked Donna's cheek with the back of his hand, she looked so peaceful as she slept, no bad dreams, no pain. The low light from the table lamp surrounded her, her face illuminating. She looked so beautiful. And that's when it hit him. The feelings he had been having since the moment he met her. He's never been good with voicing how he feels, with really understanding his emotions. But this, this was so unbelievably clear. He was in love with her. But it was more than that, and Josh smiled when he realized what the "more" was. She was his Bashert: his fate, his destiny . . . his soulmate.

"Matzati Et She'ahava Nafshi . . .I have found the one whom my soul loves, that's what that means," he whispered to her lovingly as he stroked her hair back. "I love you Donnatella Moss, since day one, I have loved you."


	18. Good Morning Blue Eyes

Josh woke up with a smile on his face. It had been the best night of sleep he had ever had, and it had everything to do with the beautiful woman who was currently snuggled into him. She was sleeping soundly, her hand resting below his own on his chest and her leg draped over his. His arm wrapped protectively around her shoulder, where he was tracing light circles on the thin cotton of her t-shirt. He didn't want to move. He just wanted to lay like this all day, holding the woman he loves with his whole heart. But he also wanted to make her a cup of coffee and a bagel. Josh didn't want Donna to wake up and only have Saltine crackers to eat with her medicine; he wanted her to have something more filling. His mind was made up. Anything that had to do with bettering her health and well-being came first.

Josh lovingly stroked Donna's cheek and tucked the stray hairs behind her ear as he gently got out of bed. He made sure to place a pillow where he had been laying for Donna to rest her head on, as she had been using his chest as a pillow. He loved that they had fallen asleep and woken up tangled in eachothers arms. There wasn't a time where he had woken up with a woman like this before. In the past, his back had always been turned and he found himself on the edge of the bed. Now he knows that his heart and his mind had been waiting for Donna. She's the woman who belongs in his arms early in the morning, just as the first sight of dawn is making itself known. "Bashert," Josh whispered as he smiled, tucked the covers around Donna, and walked to the kitchen.

He brewed some Green Mountain french vanilla coffee and started toasting an everything bagel. While grabbing some half and half and sugar, he saw the Raisin Bran in the kitchen cabinet. Knowing that Donna would probably enjoy it, he grabbed two bowls and poured some Raisin Bran for her and Lucky Charms for him, just in time to hear the bagel pop. Josh quickly slathered both sides with cream cheese, pressed them together, and cut it in half sandwich style. Lastly, he poured some orange juice, the kind with no pulp. It took him two trips, but he managed to place their breakfast on Donna's nightstand without spilling anything. Josh was pretty impressed with himself for not making a mess. Before waking Donna up, he took out one Wellbutrin, one Phenergan, and most importantly one Sumatriptan pill for her headaches.

"Good morning Blue Eyes. Did you sleep well?" He whispered as he gently nuzzled her ear and wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her back in slow circles.

"Mmmmm, good morning Joshua. My sleep was wonderful. How about you?"

"Best sleep I have ever had. I knew it would be." He couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the sight in front of him. She looked absolutely beautiful first thing in the morning with her eyes a bright, deep blue, and the morning light reflecting off her long, blond hair. He could see her adorable freckles lightly sprinkled across her nose and he just wanted to lay a gentle "good morning" kiss on her soft, pink lips. Josh vowed to remember this moment, and how it made him feel to see her wake up in his arms for the first time.

"Oh Pumpkin Patch look at that wild hair," she smiled and yawned, the stretching of her arms causing her t-shirt to ride up, giving Josh a view of her gorgeous skin. The thought of trailing kisses up her and down her stomach enthralled him. He would really love to just spend the whole day kissing her.

"Told ya Blue Eyes. Oh and I like your freckles, they pop out in the morning," Josh mentioned as he touched his nose. How's your headache this morning?" He wanted to make sure she wasn't in any pain. "On ya know, like a one to ten scale, one being no pain at all . . ."

"Hmmm, I would say a three," she gave him a cute, reassuring smile.

"A three? That's pretty good right!?" He matched her smile with his own dimpled one.

"That's actually really good Josh. In fact, I haven't woken up feeling this good since . . . since before my accident," the realization overwhelming her in a good way.

Josh didn't know if it was because they had slept in each other's arms, or because Donna had opened up to him about her trauma, or if it was pure coincidence, but whatever the reason, his heart soared knowing that she had woken up feeling the best she had felt since her accident.

"I'm glad you're feeling good Donna," Josh said reverently as he took her hand in his and gave it a soft kiss. "Now that you've had your eight hours of sleep, how bout' some breakfast?" He nodded over at her nightstand.

"Ohhh a post birthday breakfast! Thank you! Mmmm coffee, it smells so good," she breathed in the aroma of the coffee, and then with her eyes closed delighted in the first taste.

"Did I do it right, Donna? Some half and half and one sugar?"

"Oh Josh, it's perfect. And even if you had messed up how I take my coffee, it would still be perfect," Donna said as she affectionately cupped his cheek and stroked her thumb across his skin. "Thank you for all this," she whispered.

"You're welcome Donna. I want you to have more than Saltine crackers when you wake up. And . . . and . . ." he was starting to stammer as he tried to find his courage to express himself.

"And what, Joshua?" She asked softly. Encouraging him.

"And I want to make you happy, Donnatella."

Donna put her coffee mug down and looked at Josh. Her blue eyes gazing at his brown eyes, her emotions clear across her face. "Oh Josh, you do make me happy. All you have to do is be you, and I'm happy. You don't have to do anything special." She inched over towards him and took him in her arms, bringing his head to her chest. Josh wrapped himself around her and breathed in her scent. He smiled as he whispered in her ear, "I've never been this happy before in my life Donna, and it's all because of you . . . You make me so incredibly happy. I just want you to know that." They tightened their arms around each other, trying to get closer. Josh felt like he was trying to touch her soul with his own. They stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet of the morning, the feel of each other. When Josh pulled back to look at Donna, he noticed her eyes were still closed. He wondered if she had fallen back asleep.

Running his hands up and down her arms, he asked, "You sleepy?"

"Mmmm, no," Donna spoke softly. She took a deep breath and smiled before continuing, "Every morning I do this. I'm not very religious, but I take a moment to thank God for giving me a second chance at life. I take a few minutes to practice gratitude. Hugging you seemed like the perfect time to do that."

"Sounds like a nice mix between a prayer and a statement of affirmation . . ." Josh said as he rested his chin on her shoulder and started rubbing soothing circles on her back. He closed his eyes for a moment. He desperately wanted to tell her that he was in love with her, that she was the one. He wanted to explain Bashert to her, he wanted to tell her everything, and he wanted to learn everything about her. But he wanted to wait for the perfect moment to tell her that he loves her, because Josh wants everything to be perfect for Donna.

If someone had told Josh Lyman six months ago that he was going to meet his beloved and fall head over heels irrefutably in love, that his soul was going to bind with someone else's, he would have scoffed. He'd always been focused. He knew from a very young age what he wanted. He wanted to make a difference in this world. He'd worked hard in high school and undergrad, knowing that he needed to get into a good law school and do well there. And he'd started law school with the plan that he wouldn't let anything, especially girls, distract him from his ultimate goal: the White House. Falling in love definitely was not part of the plan.

But falling in love has turned out to be anything but a distraction towards his goal. Now he has someone who inspires him to make a difference. He wants to make the world better for her, and dare he say it, his future children. Instead of wanting to help abstract hypothetical people, he has a real, soft, beautiful person, right here in his arms. Turns out falling in love was the motivation he never knew he needed. And nothing will stop him from reaching his goals now.

"That's a good way to describe it. Let's drink some coffee and eat, I'm hungry Pumpkin Patch," she said as she smiled and tousled his hair.

"K . . . Now Donnatella, please take note on how I cut the bagel. This way, we both get the good part, and ya know, not stuck arguing over who gets stuck with the bottom half of the bagel." Josh could easily see them bickering over who got the better half of the bagel. He chuckled at that.

"Good job. That's thinking ahead. Although, I would have just pouted and the top half of the bagel would have instantly been mine."

"Nuh-uh, cuz' I would have shown you my dimples, and you can't resist those . . . My dimples are irresistible to you, Donnatella. The top half would have been mine." Well here they were bickering over the bagel anyway, Josh again chuckled.

"Don't try and distract me with this bagel talk. I notice you have a bagel, Lucky Charms, and coffee. That's three fifths of your food pyramid, Joshua!"

"But I did good with the orange juice."

"You need to take a bite of my Raisin Bran." She said as she took the spoon and brought it to his mouth. Josh instantly backed up.

"No, no, no. I'm not eating that Donna. You can't make me."

"Fine, I just might pout to get my way . . ."

"Nope! My eyes are closed, can't see you." Josh said as he threw his hands over his eyes.

"K, fine. I'm just going to eat your half of the bagel. You can have your Lucky Charms and your coffee. I will let you have two of the five items on your food pyramid for breakfast."

"What!? Donnnnnnna, nooooo, I want my bagel," he whined.

"Okay so no Lucky Charms then?" She tilted her head and gave him an infectious smile.

"Ugh, Donnnnnna. You're making me choose?"

"Mmmmhmmmm. Unless . . ."

"Unless? Unless what? What's the unless?"

"Unless you take a bite of Raisin Bran . . ."

"Ewww no!"

"Fine, then I'm eating your bagel or your Lucky Charms."

"You get to eat Lucky Charms or the bagel!?"

"Well I can't let the food go to waste, Joshua." She rolled her eyes at him.

"You're feisty in the morning Blue Eyes. Fine. One stupid bite of stupid Raisin Bran. Just pick out the raisins though."

"Joshua I am not picking out the raisins, you're eating the whole spoonful."

"You know I wouldn't do this for anyone else Donnatella."

"Your mom will be happy that you ate it."

"Gimme a bite, let's get this over with. My half of the bagel is getting cold and my Lucky Charms are getting soggy."

With a dramatic performance, he ate the one bite of Raisin Bran. Donna of course, vetoing the first bite, since he basically just swallowed it. She admonished him, claiming he could have choked. He refuted by saying that it was soggy enough so he took the risk. She made him take an even bigger second bite. And as promised, let him have his half of the bagel and Lucky Charms.

They finished their breakfast together and made their way to the couch to snuggle and watch a little local news before having to get the day started. Josh of course, had given Donna one of his flannel shirts and put a pair of socks on her feet to keep her from getting cold. His apartment was a little drafty in the morning. Josh was delighted to learn that her feet were ticklish and he couldn't help but smile when she squealed, curled her toes and retreated her feet from his grasp. "Oh Blue Eyes, I will use that as punishment down the road." Her only reply had been a loud "hmph", which he found adorable. She threatened to always leave her shoes on in his presence, and to withhold blueberry muffins every time he tickled her.

With a deep sigh, they realized Donna had to get going to make her ten o'clock class. "Today's naked class, isn't it?" He groaned.

"Mmmm yupp. Today I'm painting naked plants."

"Naked plants? Aren't plants always, ya know, naked?"

"Well yeah, but since we call it naked class, I figured whatever I paint is qualified with the word naked."

"Well naked plants are fine by me," he said as he put toothpaste on their brushes. He loved how domestic their morning had been: waking up together, snuggling, breakfast, more snuggling on the couch, tv, doing the dishes, getting ready for the day, brushing their teeth. He wanted to do this every morning. Hopefully it would happen this Sunday, after their date in the park.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o

Josh opens the car door for Donna, his hand finding the small of her back as she gets in. He's already had the Volvo running for ten minutes, so that it's warm enough for her. Opening the rear passenger side door, he places their bags inside while taking note of the interior. It needs to be vacuumed, lots of Buster fur. "Sorry about the mess, you can blame Buster for that. He likes to shed and finds it necessary to jump on all the seats," Josh says with a laugh as he gets in the car. This causes Donna to smile, "We're going to have to teach Buster to sit in the backseat."

"Good luck with that one. He's such a brat. I literally get out of the car for five seconds to grab something from the house and I come back and my windows have snout prints all over them. And I mean all the windows Donna. I don't know how he does it. And then there's fur, random slobber . . . I swear, he does it on purpose. Then my mom makes me clean it up. Why can't Buster clean it?" They look at each other and have a good laugh at that one. Realizing that it's the first time they are in his car together, Josh takes a moment to reassure Donna. He can imagine that being in a car in general probably makes her feel uneasy. He wants her to feel safe with him, always.

"Donna, I drive a Volvo, you see . . . And Volvos are like the safest car out there. So you don't have to worry about . . ." And as Josh is explaining how safe his little, blue Volvo is, Donna is looking at him, her lips slightly parted, her eyes locking with his. He thinks she looks perfect in his yellow and black plaid shirt, with her hair in a loose, messy ponytail. And it was at that moment that Donna whispers his name reverently, as she leans in and places her soft, warm lips on his. Josh feels a current race through his body as their lips connect and slightly part for one another in their first kiss. They fit perfectly together. He feels himself gently tug on her lower lip, his hands finding their way to her cheeks, and then one is in her hair, gently cupping the back of her head, pulling her towards him, just a little closer. He feels Donna's hands on his face, and then lace together in the curls behind his ears. Their first kiss is everything. He feels his soul coming home as she smiles into their kiss; he feels himself smile too. She hums against his lips, and he hears a buzzing in his ears, and he feels his heart pounding; in fact, he feels everything, everywhere. He tastes the spearmint from his toothpaste on her lips, mixed with her cherry flavored chapstick. He tastes what can only be described as Donna and he loves it instantly. They gently tugged at one another's lips, teeth lightly scraping, until finally, he places one last gentle kiss on her lips and they slowly pull apart, both breathless, lips tingling, eyes shining.

Josh feels like his heart is going to beat out of his chest, he's so happy. "Was that for me taking care of you last night?" He asks with a big, dimpled smile.

Donna's shy giggling sends waves through his chest and into his heart. He loves that sound. He also loves the way her lips look after they had been thoroughly kissed. "No Josh," she said while kissing his cheek sweetly, "But that little kiss on the cheek is for you taking care of me last night. That other kiss, that was to show you how I feel about you," she whispers as she places a feather light kiss on his lips. "I know I said that I prefer our first kiss be in a park or at my doorstep, but I decided that I prefer your car. The park or my doorstep is great for a second kiss . . ." She explains with a smile.

"But Donna, now the park or your doorstep is gonna be our third kiss, you see. Cuz you just kissed me again. And you can ya know, keep kissing me if you want to. The park and your doorstep are great for kiss number seven or twelve or ya know fifty. I think we can kiss fifty times before Saturday, wanna find out? He asks with a dimpled grin as he leans in and plants one more on her.

"Well as much as I would love to continue trying to get to kiss number fifty right now, I have to go to class," she pouts.

"Hmmm . . . Well, we really can't go anywhere right now Donna, cuz we, uhhh, kinda fogged up the windows . . ."

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Footnote: YAY for their first kiss! Was that a surprise? :) Also, I just realized that their first kiss happened on page 100 of this story! What a lovely way to celebrate 100 pages!


	19. Birthday Gifts Part 1

The car windows eventually unfogged and Josh took extra caution driving Donna to her apartment. He wanted her to know that he was a good driver, a safe driver, and he never wanted her to feel scared in his car. Josh kept two hands on the wheel the whole time, except at red lights, when his hand found hers. He kept his eyes on the road, always looking to his left twice when making a turn. Josh told Donna she could put the radio on whatever station she wanted, and absolutely adored that she went right for WNPR- Connecticut Public Radio. "I may not know a lot about politics Josh, but I do know that midterm elections are a little over year from now, so I would like to be informed."

"I will keep you informed Blue Eyes, I will be your source for all things political." And he absolutely did during the short car ride, providing his thoughts and opinions on local education, local bills, and a few state senators. Josh put the car in park right outside Donna's apartment and began talking animatedly about the budget crisis this past summer, and how it had led to the closing of State Parks for the Fourth of July.

"We had a partial government shutdown, Donna! Over income tax! I mean we need to fund state programs, the money has to come from somewhere!" Josh was getting heated just thinking about it. "I'm telling ya Donna, we're gonna have a bunch of freshman legislators the next go around. Do you have any idea how many members of the Connecticut General Assembly aren't going to run again?" He was exasperated by this point.

"A lot, Joshua. A lot."

"You're damn right a lot!"

"Calm down Pumpkin Patch."

"Donna I can't-" and he was cut off when she quickly took her seatbelt off and leaned towards him, their lips meeting again in a long, all-consuming kiss.

"You gotta relax Pumpkin Patch, you were getting a little overheated."

"Mmm, I'm calm now, Blue Eyes. All the kissing, is ahhh ya know, relaxing me." He kept kissing her, his hands finding their way to her hair. Kissing Donna really did make him feel calm, at peace, and Josh loved it.

"Glad I could help."

"Mmmmhmmm. No more thoughts about the state deficit or taxes. I'm content right here, doing this," he said between gentle kisses.

"Can't fog up your windows again."

"I don't have class until this afternoon, we can kiss more."

"Mmmm, I would love that, but I gotta go to class . . ."

"Oh yeah I forgot. My brain is just focused on all the ya know, kissing. You have naked plant class."

"Mmmhmmm, naked plants," she smiled as she gave him another kiss.

"Ahh-kay." As much as he wanted to keep going with all the kissing, Josh didn't want Donna to ever be late for class. "I'll see you at 5:00. Fair warning though, you might get kissed a few times at work. But don't worry, I'll keep it work appropriate." He knew though, that keeping it work appropriate might be tough. How was he going to keep himself from pulling her close and kissing her passionately?

Together they walked to her door, Josh holding Donna's bag in one hand and keeping his other on the small of her back. She made him promise to wear his winter jacket today and he gave his word, "Anything for you Donnatella." They leaned in for one last lingering kiss, both not wanting it to end. "Naked plants," she said as she leaned her forehead against his and gave him a chaste kiss. They said goodbye and Josh went back to his car, ready to start his morning mission, he had birthday gifts to buy.

Josh went home and took a quick shower, got dressed for the day, and grabbed his Con Law books and backpack. As promised, he threw on his winter coat, and headed out the door to his first stop, the local toy store. He found what he was looking for almost instantly and the resemblance was clear. Josh walked around while the owner made the engraving on Donna's present. He was really captivated by the model train set, and smiled a little sadly as he recalled a memory when he was four years old and Joanie was eleven. Josh had been ecstatic when he opened his Hanukkah present and found himself holding a train set. Noah had helped his children build the train, running it under Josh's bed and through his bedroom to Joanie's. He remembered how Joanie would put cookies on the flatbed train cart and send it to him in his room. Josh would always save a cookie and send it back to Joanie with one of his toys. Looking at the set in front of him, he couldn't help but miss his sister greatly. The guilt still overwhelmed him. All he had to do was grab her hand and run out the door, but he didn't. Why didn't he? He was pulled out of his thoughts when the store owner came over with Donna's present, smiling when he saw Josh look at the train set, and letting him know that every little kid should have one. Josh couldn't agree more.

His next stop was the bookstore to grab a few items, followed by a tea shop, and then to the local pharmacy, where he had some help from a store clerk picking out items for Donna. Josh wanted to make sure he got the right things. His last stop was a speciality store. The gift he was buying there would bring comfort to Donna at night. Josh wasn't even sure if she "needed" it, they hadn't discussed this part of her recovery yet, but deep down he had a feeling she would.

After writing out Donna's birthday card, which he thought was great because it happened to be a picture of a chalkboard that said "Happy Birthday!" on it, Josh placed all of the gifts in the trunk of his car and drove to class. He would pick up Donna's flowers after Con Law, he didn't want them sitting in his car for three hours.

"Oh Josh, you're here great. We're thinking about studying tonight at Cabbot's," Linda said as he sat down. "Oh and last night was great. Thanks for going out with us!"

"You're welcome. Donna had a great time with you guys."

"You two are cute together. One of these days she's going to make you see how great fries dipped in shakes are."

"Linda, you know I will never try that combination."

"Yeah, well we'll see about that."

"Seriously Josh, it's so good," Mark added his two cents in.

"I dip onion rings in my shake. I did that all the time in the frat house at Wake Forest. SO GOOD."

"Ewww, Kevin, no. That's just, no," Linda wasn't a fan.

"So tonight then? We're going to Cabbot's? 5pm? I need to know, that way I can figure out if I'm making dinner at home or getting a pizza. I really want a pizza . . " Keith trailed off.

"Yeah, Cabbot's at 5:00. We can continue with Tort for a little, but really hunker down for Con Law, the reading is getting a little in depth, then a quick overview of Contracts before class on Thursday," Phil recapped.

Everyone was in agreement. Josh wasn't crazy about the idea. He just wanted to sit at the coffee bar and spend time with Donna and study. He also wanted to give her her birthday gifts without having his classmates as an audience. There was nothing he could really do about it though.

"Josh, how's Donna? She okay?" Oscar had waited for his classmates to settle into their own conversations before asking him about Donna. Josh of course, always appreciated Oscar's tact.

"She's good Oscar. Thanks for checking in. We talked a lot last night and she's feeling better."

"Well whatever it is she's going through Josh, I'm glad she has you."

"Thanks Oscar. You're a good friend. And I don't mean to just me, you're a good friend to Donna too. I appreciate that."

"Hey familia y amigos, that's what life's about. Oh and I got Donna a birthday present. I'll bring it tonight."

Before Josh could respond, Professor Callaway walked in and was charming as always, "Good afternoon 1Ls! Let's talk about the Ninth Amendment, shall we?" And with that, Josh took out his books and tried to focus on law for the next three hours. It was hard though, with the memory of Donna's lips on his rolling around in his mind.

Josh walked in to the flower shop shortly after 4pm. He didn't know much about flowers, but Josh knew that he wanted Donna's birthday bouquet to be unique and represent her. The florist, a kind older woman named Paula, started with pink carnations, which represents gratitude, something that Donna practices every morning. Next were the light blue hydrangeas, reflecting Donna's perseverance. White roses followed, for new beginnings, both Donna's new beginning after her accident and her new beginning with Josh. And lastly, to complete the bouquet, were three red tulips, representing true love. Paula smiled as she placed the bouquet in an eye-catching vase. She had asked Josh questions about Donna to help put together the bouquet, and had caught on to just how much Josh loves Donna's eyes, as the vase matched her eye-color almost perfectly. Paula finished by tying a perfect bow, a deep red to match the tulips, and sliding in a "Happy Birthday Donnatella" notecard, written in flawless calligraphy. "It's perfect, just like Donna," Josh softly said as he admired the flowers, and picking up the vase carefully.

"Well she must be something special Josh. She's very lucky to have a sweetheart like you." Paula smiled as she handed him his receipt.

"She is. She's incredibly special, but I'm the lucky one. No doubt about it."

"Well, honey you come back anytime for flowers, here's my card."

"Thank you Paula. I'm sure I will be back frequently."

"You're very welcome Josh. Bye now."

"Bye," he smiled as he walked out the door and gently placed the flowers in the passenger seat of the volvo. He had just enough time to run home and grab the rest of his notebooks and make it back to Cabbot's by 5:00.

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Part 2 is already written and I hope to upload it sometime mid week! Enjoy the rest of your weekend! :)


	20. Birthday Gifts Part 2

Josh found a spot right outside Cabbot's. Parallel parking wasn't really his thing, but he was able to find success on his second attempt. From his passenger window, he could see that his classmates were already gathering at their usual table. Josh really didn't want to have an audience, but he had been looking forward to giving Donna her gifts all day. He leaned his head back against his seat and ran his hands over his face, blinking a few times. Quickly, his decision was made and he wasn't changing his plans. Josh Lyman wanted to give beautiful flowers to a beautiful woman, and he didn't want to wait.

He walked inside and dropped his bag in his usual seat, while grabbing his chalkboard and saying a quick hello to Oscar.

"I'll be back in 15 minutes, I wanna spend some time with Donna," it was impossible for him to hide his smile.

"Birthday gifts?" Oscar asked excitedly. Josh was still amazed at how perceptive Oscar was.

"Birthday gifts," Josh confirmed.

"Cool. I'm gonna give her my gift on my next coffee break. I'll catch you up on notes when you get back."

"Thanks man." And with that, Josh walked up to the coffee bar before his classmates could ask him any questions.

"Hi." He couldn't help the giant dimpled smile that appeared even if he wanted to.

"Hi yourself Pumpkin Patch." She looked great, Josh thought. She was wearing his plaid shirt, half buttoned, tied in a little bow at her waist with a light pink t-shirt beneath it, and black jeans. Her hair had a slight curl to it and Josh wanted to reach out and touch the small ringlets . . . feel how soft they were. She looked relaxed and happy, her face had a shine to it.

"My classmates decided to have study group tonight, but I'll be up here when we're done studying, Blue Eyes. We can share a blueberry muffin. Do you have time to take your break though? I umm, I got you some stuff for your birthday, and I want to give you your gifts, cuz umm it's your birthday." He was rambling and bouncing on his feet, but he couldn't help it, Josh Lyman was giddy.

"I can take my break Josh. And you're very sweet, but you didn't have to get me any gifts." She gave him that head tilt and smile he loves.

"I wanted to Donna, cuz ya know you're the person I share blueberry muffins with, and hamburger drawings, and holding hands, and stuff . . . Oh and kissing! There's kissing now . . ." He reached over and grabbed her hand, conveying all his feelings with his eyes.

Donna's eyes were shining, "Josh," she whispered. And he couldn't help it, he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.

"See Donna, I kept it work appropriate."

"Well then you deserve a free coffee."

"I always get free coffee. How bout' another kiss?"

"I can make that happen . . ."

It took a few more minutes, but they finally made their way to a corner table, and Josh quickly ran outside and grabbed the gifts.

"Oh Josh!" Donna said as she stood up and put her hands over her mouth. He could tell from her reaction that she loved the flowers. "Josh, they're beautiful!"

"I picked them out special, for you Donna." He placed the bouquet on the table along with the light blue duffle bag he had slung around his shoulder and took her in his arms, holding her and gently swaying. "Happy 21st birthday, Donnatella."

"Thank you Josh. I don't even know what to say. I've never been given flowers like that."

"You're welcome Blue Eyes, and get used to it, cuz I plan on getting you a lot of flowers," he whispered.

"K," she smiled and ran her hands through his curls.

"I'm gonna tell you what all the flowers are and what they mean, but first I wanna give you all your other gifts. The first one is from Buster," he said as he reached in and grabbed the stuffed animal yellow lab from the toy shop, wrapped in light blue tissue paper.

"Oh Josh he's cute! And look at his little leather collar, it says Buster on it!"

"I thought he really kinda looked like Buster."

"Oh he does! It's the eyes and ears. She pressed the stuffed animal to her heart and gave Josh a cute pout, "Oh he really is adorable Josh, tell Buster thank you."

"I will, but you gotta open your other presents first. Here lemme' explain. This next one has multiple parts. It's called the "Josh Lyman Sleepover Kit." So here's your sleepover bag, it's light blue because I think that color looks amazing on you. It matches the sweater you wore yesterday. Go ahead and take a peek inside."

After a few minutes, Donna had unwrapped her whole "Sleepover Kit", which consisted of Yale sweatpants and a t-shirt, tooth brush, tooth paste, hair brush, face wash, moisturizer, Sleepy Time tea for the evening and green tea for the morning, along with a Starry Night themed mug. And lastly, a little travel bag to keep all of her items in.

"Josh, this is so sweet. I love it."

"You're welcome Donna. Is the face wash and moisturizer okay? I had the clerk help me pick it out. I just wanted you to ya know have things at my place for when you sleep over. Cuz ummm like I said last night, lots of sleepovers . . ."

"Everything is perfect Josh, thank you . . . and lots of sleepovers Pumpkin Patch. Maybe we can have one tonight so we can test out the new "Josh Lyman Sleepover Kit?" She gave him that dazzling smile, it made his heart thump wildly.

"Yeah?!" He was already getting excited at the thought of another night of cuddling, and when you add kissing Donnatella Moss to that, well Josh was ready for the clock to strike 11:00.

"Yeah." Her smile said it all.

"I know you have an early class, let's go to bed as soon as we can, so you can get as much sleep as possible." Josh had done the math before when she told him her schedule. If she had 8am classes and got out of Cabbot's at 11pm, there was no way she was getting her eight hours of sleep some nights. He was going to do his best to make sure she got at least seven hours.

"You got a deal. And I can just wear what I'm wearing now to class tomorrow, it's fine, I can go home and change after."

"Maybe you could start leaving some stuff at my place to umm ya know add to the Josh Lyman Sleepover Kit?" He asked a little shyly, he didn't want to seem overeager, even though he was.

"Okay Josh. But only if you want me to . . ."

"I want you to Donna, I want you to," he immediately said. "Oh, and there is one more gift I have for you in there that you can open now, the other gift I want to show you privately, and I will give you your card then too."

Donna pulled out the last gift. It was a small wooden box, painted with trees, something small enough to keep in her tote bag. The inside was divided into seven small boxes lined with felt fabric with small plastic covers, each labeled with a letter for the day of the week. "You can keep your medicine in there, that way you don't have to carry all your prescriptions and worry about them falling out of your bag again . . . I know that happened to you before and I'm sorry about that," he whispered tenderly.

"It's okay Josh, I know Amy told you about our run in. I heard her tell you and your classmates the story . . . Barista Donna is running a pharmacy out of her bag in her spare time. This is a beautiful gift Josh and I love it very much," she said reverently, as she slowly ran her fingers over the box.

"Oh Donna, I'm so sorry you heard that."

"It's okay Josh, I don't let people like her get to me."

"That's my girl. But all the same, it was a horrible thing for her to say."

"It was, but I can't control what other people say, anymore than I can control the weather."

"Very true Donnatella," he ran his hand along her cheek and they took a moment to look into each other's eyes, silently communicating their feelings. Donna's watch beeped, pulling them out of their moment.

"Awww, break time's over. Will you tell me what the flowers mean tonight?" She asked affectionately as they stood up, Donna carefully putting her gifts in her new bag.

"I would love to Donna. We can take off from here, go back to my apartment, and get comfy."

"Mmm sounds nice. I want to have some of that Sleepy Time tea."

"I will make you a cup while you get comfy," he wrapped her in his arms and continued, "Thank you for my coffee Blue Eyes, and I'm glad you like your gifts, happy birthday."

"You're welcome, and I really love the gifts Josh, thank you again."

"I'm gonna keep this work appropriate, or at least try to . . ." he whispered as he leaned in and placed his hands on her cheeks, his lips meeting hers in a soft kiss. Donna instantly placed her hands on his chest, which then traveled to the curls at the base of Josh's neck as his hands drifted to her waist, thumbs lightly stroking her sides. They were interrupted a moment later by whistling and clapping, and Josh knew immediately where it was coming from.

"Ahhh God, I'm sorry Donna, we've had an audience this evening."

"Well at least we gave them quite a show!" She laughed and gave him one more kiss before grabbing her flowers.

"Damn right we did," Josh said as he picked up his coffee and tossed Donna's bag over his shoulder, then wrapping his arm around her as they walked back to the coffee bar.

"I'm putting these beautiful flowers right here, so I can stare at them all night," she laughed as she placed them right next to her chalkboard. Josh smiled when he saw what was written alongside a very accurate drawing of a volvo:

Hi There!  
Enjoy your coffee and tea this evening!

Fun Fact: My favorite car is now a Volvo (Especially a Blue Volvo 740!) Did you know that Volvos are one of the safest cars out there?

Donnatella :)

"By chance Donna, is your favorite blue Volvo 740 the 1985 model?" Josh's dimples were out in full force.

"Oh absolutely, that's the best one," she winked from behind the flowers as she moved the vase forward a little. He couldn't help but smile as he grabbed his chalkboard from where he had left it and showed her his drawing of a vase of flowers with his message:

Day 16! The day where Josh gives Donna her beautiful flowers and gifts! Happy Birthday Blue Eyes!

Xoxo Josh

P.S. Will you EVER tell me why you call me Pumpkin Patch? ;)

With one last kiss and gentle squeeze of her hand, Josh started to walk back to his table. He made it about two steps when he heard Kevin bellow, "Damn Lyman! Open some windows or turn on the air conditioning, because IT IS GETTING HOT AND STEAMY IN HERE!"

"Ahhh, for crying out loud Kevin, shut up."

"Kissy, kissy" came Keith's voice from the back of the table.

"Keith, Kevin, Por Favor! really, shut up. How old are you two anyway? Ugh, Por Dios! Let him kiss Donna all he wants. And quit being creepy and watching . . . weirdos. Hi Josh, I'm glad Donna liked the gifts you got her. Hermosas flores. We're still covering Tort Law, here's some notes," Oscar said as he handed Josh a few sheets of paper.

"Wouldn't need to be studying Tort if all of you hadn't gone out for the Barista Birthday Bash," Amy sneered as she rolled her eyes.

'Speaking of birthday bash, I hope some of you got Donna a gift, I got her a stuffed animal Yoshi, it's even the blue one, her favorite," Oscar sat back, smug that he was able to find the Blue Yoshi. Josh couldn't help but smile.

"Oh yeah I got her a gift too! She really likes L'Oreal lipstick, so I got her the new pink one that came out," Linda added as she pulled out her gift bag for Donna.

"Yeah, yeah! Phil, Keith, and I got her a giftcard to the local book store, since one of Donna's majors is English and all . . .

"And I got her a cookie making jar. Ya know, one of those big jars with all the stuff to make chocolate chip cookies," Mark added as he dipped his donut in his coffee.

Josh beamed at his classmates. Most of them drove him nuts, but he was touched that they had thought about Donna and took the time to buy her birthday gifts. "Thanks guys, that's . . . that's really kind of you. I'm sure it will make Donna very happy."

"Of course Josh. We care about Donna too. She's probably the nicest person I've ever met," Linda said as she flipped through her Tort notes. Everyone at the table, except Amy, nodded their heads in agreement and smiled.

"Okay are we done talking about this? Can we get through Tort Law, please? This is turning out to be a waste of my time, I went over this last night."

"Yeah, sure Amy. Chapter fifteen . . ." Mark began.

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The studying progressed from Tort Law, to Con Law, and then to Contracts. At 7:00, everyone took a break, and most of his classmates rushed to Donna to give her the birthday gifts they had purchased. She was really very moved by the gesture. Josh stood back and watched the interaction, he loved that his cohort cared about her. He of course, went up to her after they had all gone back to their seats and got his refill and his half of the chicken salad she had brought. Donna of course, pushed Josh to eat the cucumbers she had cut up.

At 9:30, his classmates left and Josh moved to the coffee bar, content to hold Donna's hand for a while as they each read for class. Luckily, all of the patrons were gone by 10:00, and Josh and Donna were able to head out right at 11:00.

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Hand in hand, they walked into Josh's apartment, and instantly reached for one another in a passionate kiss after putting their belongings down. Josh was still trying to keep it light, he didn't want to take the next physical step in their relationship until they had at least been on their first date. He also didn't want to come off as needy and certainly didn't want her to feel rushed.

"As much as I want to keep doing this, why don't you get ready for bed and I will make you tea. I want to make sure you get enough sleep tonight," Josh spoke softly as he nuzzled her nose with his own.

"Okay Josh. I'm trying out those new sweatpants and t-shirt . . ."

"I bet you'll look cute," he said with one last kiss, as Donna wandered into the bedroom with her duffle bag. He went to work on her tea and brought it into his bedroom where she was lounging on his bed.

"Okay so I forgot, I actually have two more gifts for you. I bought the frame today, but I forgot to put the picture in it and bring it to Cabbot's," Josh said as he pulled out a wooden 5x8 frame from a small bag and grabbed the photo from his desk.

"Oh Josh, this is really cute. Was this the first picture taken of you two?"

"Yupp! That's the day we got Buster. It was the weekend before my junior year started. That's the big tree in our backyard," Josh pointed to the photo of him on one knee with his arm around Buster in front of the big oak tree.

"I recognize that sweatshirt, haven't seen you in the Mets hat though."

"It will make an appearance when Spring training starts and throughout the season."

"Good it looks cute on you."

"Well then maybe I will wear it more often Blue Eyes. Okay so the next gift. I didn't want you to open this at Cabbot's, because it's a little more private and I forgot to ask you a question about your recovery last night. May I ask now?"

"Of course Josh, you can ask me anything."

"K . . ." he paused and grabbed her hands. "Donna, do you ever have nightmares from the accident?"

She looked into his eyes for a moment, and then said earnestly, "Yes, Josh. I do. From time to time, a nightmare finds me in my sleep."

"I'm sorry Donna. I thought you might have some nightmares, so that's why I bought you this next gift . . ." he said as he pulled out two dream catchers. "The Ojibwe tribe believes that they are used to protect people who are sleeping by catching the bad dreams in the web and letting the good dreams flow through and down the feathers to the person sleeping," he said as he put his hand on the web. "I thought we could hang one above my bed and one above yours, to ya know, catch the bad dreams."

"Oh Josh . . ." Donna's eyes started to well up with tears.

"Oh baby, please don't cry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he said as he held her close.

"Joshua Lyman, you are the sweetest, most thoughtful soul I have ever met. Thank you. Thank you for everything. This means so much to me. The care you took in finding these gifts. You just . . . You know me Josh. You get me," She sniffled a little more as she let the emotions overcome her. He rubbed her back until she looked at him and smiled, and together they hung up the dream catcher. "Donna, if you ever have any bad dreams, I want you to call me. I will come get you at any time. Promise me?"

"Josh I want you to get your sleep . . ."

"Your wellbeing is my main concern Donna. I can function on very little sleep. Please, promise me?"

"Okay Josh, I promise. Now these flowers . . ."

"That's right, the flowers. Let's talk about those and then you can drink your tea and read your card, and how about after that we snuggle and go to sleep?"

"I like that plan. Tell me about the blue flowers first."

"Ahhh the blue ones," he said with a smile as he grabbed the bouquet. "Paula, the florist, helped me pick out the flowers. I told her that I wanted the flowers to represent you . . ." Josh paused for a moment to smile at Donna, as he gave her the flowers and readjusted himself on the bed so that he was closer to her. He spoke softly as he touched the blue flowers:

"So the blue flowers are Hydrangeas, for your perseverance . . ."

He kissed her cheek.

He moved his fingers across the pink flowers, "And the pink ones, those are carnations, which mean gratitude . . ."

He kissed her forehead.

He moved his hand to the vase and drew a little circle with his finger, "The vase is almost the exact color of your beautiful, blue eyes . . ."

He kissed her neck.

His fingers gently traced the petals on the white roses, "And of course, these are white roses, which represent new beginnings . . . "

He kissed her ear.

And lastly, his hand slowly ran across the deep red flowers, "And these are red tulips . . ." he cupped her cheek, meeting her eyes. "And they symbolize true love . . ."

He kissed her lips.


	21. The Admission

It was here, Saturday October 19th was finally here. Their first date in the park, and Josh was ecstatic to the point where he couldn't fall back asleep. He smiled at Donna's sleeping form next to him, gently running his hand over her soft, blond hair and kissing her forehead. It was only 4:45, and there was no way he was going to wake her up, not yet. They had spent the last five nights together, "Testing out the Josh Lyman Sleepover Kit" for the past four nights. The results were conclusive: the sleepover kit works, but more clothes need to be added. Josh didn't mind though, he loved seeing Donna walk out of his bedroom every morning in one of his t-shirts with her tousled hair pulled back, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Josh grabbed one of his books off the desk as well as this month's edition of the "Yale Political Monthly" and started to thumb through it as he drank his coffee. Normally, he wouldn't find himself too intrigued by "The Dining Hall Debacle", but Donna's an undergrad and probably has a meal plan, so the fact that the orange juice is warm and there aren't enough bagels is completely unacceptable. "Buy Donna bagels and orange juice" he jotted down on a sticky note and stuck it on the fridge.

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Josh wasn't sure how late Donna would sleep in. They had never woken up together on a weekend, but at 9:45 he was starting to get a little concerned. He made his way back into the bedroom and froze when he got a good look at her. She was on her side, tucked into a tight ball and her arm was shielding her eyes. Josh could see her body trembling ever so slightly.

"Donna? Donna are you okay?" He got no response, but he knew she was awake.

"Donna? Baby what's wrong?" Josh couldn't mask his concern.

"Nine . . ."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you, can you please say it again?"

"Nine . . ."

"Nine?" He got no response and was starting to panic.

"Nine, Josh."

Nine? He asked himself. Why couldn't he connect the dots? Then it hit him. How could he have missed this? It's the first thing he's asked her every morning, but then again, Josh also realized that he was used to her saying three, four, and one time five. So needless to say, it wasn't registering when she said nine. What was registering though, was the thumping in his chest and the blood draining from his face: Donna was in pain. He remembered her words from their first sleepover: "I almost always wake up with a headache, it can range from a dull ache to blinding. And when it's that bad, I can't even open my eyes . . ." Unfortunately, she was feeling the latter this morning.

"Oh baby I'm sorry," he rubbed her arm, but didn't get a response from Donna. Think Josh, think. he told himself. He replayed more of their conversation in his mind: "This next one is kind of my life saver . . . " And that's when he remembered, Donna needed to take her Sumatriptan and she couldn't have it on an empty stomach. She needed something light and quick, so Saltines it was.

"Just eat a couple crackers baby. I promise you will feel better." All he heard was a whimper in protest.

O0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It took a little time, but Donna managed to slowly eat a few crackers and drink enough water to take her medicine, but Josh was at a loss. He didn't know what to do to make her feel better. He was concerned about her puffy eyes, she had a few sniffles and a few stray tears, but not enough to make her eyes puffy. It also seemed like she was running a fever.

"Josh?" Her voice was small.

He was at immediate attention, ready to do whatever it was she was about to ask.

"Josh?" Her voice a little more panicked.

"Donna, sweetheart, what do you need?"

"I'm gonna be sick, Josh!"

He ran and grabbed a trash bucket, and just in time as she leaned over the bed, it was mostly a dry heave, but he knew that she had thrown up her medicine and Saltines. Can she take another pill? Was it in her system long enough to have any effect? He had so many questions, but she was in too much pain to answer any of them. All he could do was hold her hair back and place a cold compress to her forehead. He felt like he wasn't doing enough.

Eventually, her breathing became more steady, and she had drifted to sleep. Josh felt some relief, at least she wasn't feeling any pain. She didn't look so good though and he didn't know if he needed to call a doctor or maybe even 911, he just didn't know. Josh mentally kicked himself for not preparing better. Why didn't he ever think to ask Donna what to do in this situation?

O0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Mom?"

"Joshua? Are you okay?"

"Mom Donna's sick. She's sick and I don't know what to do . . . What should I do!? How do I help her?

"Joshua . . ."

"I feel useless . . ."

"Oh Joshua . . ."

"Mom tell me what to do. Just tell me how to fix it." He was damn near begging. Miriam couldn't help but feel an overwhelming need to comfort her son. He would always be her little boy.

"I'm going to help the best I can. Tell me Joshua, what exactly is going on with Donna this morning?"

"I think she has a really bad headache. I mean she has a fever, her eyes are puffy, she threw up, she won't take her arm away from her eyes . . . I put a cold compress on her forehead and a bucket by her side of the bed . . ."

"Okay. I'm almost one hundred percent sure it's not just a headache. It's a migraine, Joshua."

He felt some relief knowing that his mom was confident in what was going on. "What do I do?"

You need to keep your bedroom dark and quiet. That's first and foremost.

"K . . . What about the fever?"

"That should just go away when the migraine fades, same with her puffy eyes. She might get sick again, so keep that bucket there, and continue with the cold compress. But Joshua?"

"Yes?"

"Here comes the hard part son . . . you need to let her be. As much as you want to comfort her, she needs space to sleep. She's going to be just fine. I know it's hard to watch . . ."

"I hate seeing her in pain."

"I know. But you are doing everything you can. She will more than likely feel better by this evening. I made some soup today for temple. Would you like your dad to bring some over? I will pack a lavender heating pad too, she might have some neck pain."

"Mom that would be . . . Thanks mom."

"Anything for you Joshua, and Donna too. I know I haven't met her yet but I feel like I already know her.

"You're going to love her, mom. She's just . . . she's perfect. Absolutely perfect . . . And I'm in love with her." He whispered the last part as he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, a smile on his face.


	22. Buster Lyman, MD

A/N: Happy New Year! I hope you enjoy the latest chapter :)

Although Josh couldn't see it, he knew his mom was smiling into the phone with a few happy tears. "NOAH!" He hears her call, "NOAH!"

"Yes Miriam?"

"Our son is in love!"

"Oh he finally said it outloud!? Hold on, BUSTER! . . . Buster your brother finally said he's in love! What did I tell you in the car that day, huh boy!? Didn't I say he was in love, didn't I Buster!?" Noah picked up the other receiver in the house.

"Hi son."

"Seriously Dad, I think the whole neighborhood heard you."

"Sorry Joshua, but Buster was in his room, so your dad had to yell . . ."

Josh jumped in before Miriam could finish, "Wait. Buster has his own room now!?"

"Well . . ." Noah trailed off.

"Oh my God, do not tell me that you gave him my room . . ." The silence on the other end said it all.

"You did didn't you? You gave Buster my bedroom!"

"Well he likes your bed and that red rug on your floor," Miriam explained.

"Fine. He can sleep in there, but when I come home . . ."

"When you come home he sleeps in his dog bed. You, Donna, and Buster can't all sleep comfortably in your bed . . ." Josh could almost see his mother winking at him.

"Oh, so you mean when I bring Donna home, I can . . . we can . . . umm . . ."

"Joshua, you're 23 years old. You and Donna can sleep in the same room." During college, Josh had never brought a girl home to meet his parents. This was a first for everyone, and he couldn't wait.

"Ah-kay, thanks for umm ya know, clearing that up Mom. Hey Dad, can you do me a favor before you come over?"

O0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Josh did as his Mom suggested. He closed the blinds and curtains over the windows to keep his bedroom dark. But he had to think for a minute, Donna couldn't sleep without a light but she needed darkness to help with her migraine. Josh absolutely did not want Donna to wake up in a completely dark room. In the end, he turned the light on her nightstand off and turned the bathroom light on, leaving the door slightly cracked. The room was definitely dark, but with a sliver of light coming from the bathroom. Josh gently placed a new cold compress on Donna's forehead; all he could do now was wait for her to feel better. He took one last look at her before he quietly closed his bedroom door.

O0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A few hours later, a small knock at his front door woke Josh up. He had nodded off while watching Yale play Dartmouth in this year's "Yale Bowl".

"Hey Dad, Buster! Buster you brat you took my bedroom!" Josh playfully teased his little brother as he scratched behind his ears, Buster's tail was wagging a mile a minute, happy to see his big brother.

"Hi son. Here are your flowers, as requested. Paula suggested these gerbera daisies for Donna. She put a lot of yellow ones in there, for good health, I think she said? Oh and Paula says hi by the way, and was absolutely shocked at how much we look alike."

"Thanks Dad. Yeah Paula's nice, she helped me a lot with Donna's birthday flowers. These are great, nice and bright colors." Josh handed Noah some cash as he took the daisies from him.

"Josh, you don't need to pay me back for these." Noah pushed Josh's money back towards him.

"Yes, I do." Josh was firm but polite. "Otherwise Dad, they aren't really from me."

"Okay that's fair. But I think you should add Buster's name to the card too."

"K, I will add Buster's name."

"Your Mom and I got Donna a little migraine care package. It has socks, earplugs, a lavender heating pad, ice packs, ginger tea, and lavender epsom salts for a bath. Your mom also mentioned that Donna's feet are probably pretty cold. So when she wakes up, put the heating pad on them or rub her feet. But, make sure she wants to be touched first. Some people with migraines suffer from something that I can't pronounce, and basically it means that the sensation of touch doesn't feel good."

Josh didn't know what to say. He was absolutely moved by how thoughtful his parents were. He looked at his dad for a moment before he put the flowers down and hugged him tightly. "Thanks, Dad. This means a lot to me, and to Donna."

"You're welcome Joshua, we really care about Donna and her well-being. Your mother is just dying to meet her."

"Let's make that happen soon. K, Dad."

"I would love that, Josh."

At that moment, Buster Lyman decided to take things into his own paws. He started to walk across the hardwood floor, his paws sliding gently, towards Josh's bedroom.

"Oh Buster, buddy no, no, comeback pal. Please." Josh's request fell on deaf ears as Buster was on a mission. He reached the door and nudged it open. Josh and Noah quickly followed, but when they got to the door, they watched as Buster carefully hopped onto the bed and softly curled up next to Donna.

"Oh wow, he just wants to help," Josh whispered.

"Mmmhmm." Noah agreed. "Looks like Doctor Buster just wanted to check on his patient. They smiled and Josh closed the door carefully.

O0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

About an hour later, after Yale had lost to Dartmouth 28-24, Noah stood up and stretched. "Don't tell your Mom we ate potato chips. She'll have a fit. In fact, I need some gum and maybe cologne, she's going to know the moment I walk in the house that I ate chips."

"Yeah I can get you some gum dad, I want to check on Donna anyway. Want a new t-shirt instead of cologne?"

"No son, that will look too obvious."

"You don't think wearing cologne to mask the smell of sour cream and onion chips will look conspicuous?"

"I can't win can I?"

"Nope."

"So I shouldn't have eaten the chips?"

"Shouldn't have eaten the chips Dad."

"Does Donna let you eat chips?"

"Donna calls it eating in moderation, she brings me a salad for dinner every night or something on the healthier side. Since I eat that, I get to have something tasty too."

"Okay wow. Your mother is going to REALLY love her, Josh. I think when I get home, I'm going to tell her about the salads, it might keep her from noticing the chip evidence.

"Okay you realize, she's still going to know you ate chips, right?"

"Damn. Yeah you're right. Maybe I'll swing back by Paula's on the way home."

"Yeah that wouldn't hurt."

"I'll take the gum though."

"Yeah that wouldn't hurt either."

Both men chuckled as Josh walked into his bedroom. Donna and Buster were both asleep in the same position Josh had left them. He wandered into the bathroom and made another cold compress for Donna. He desperately wanted to stroke back the soft tendrils of hair that had escaped, but he just didn't want to risk it, not if there was any possibility that touch caused her pain. Josh quietly grabbed a few sticks of gum and soundlessly closed his door.

"Here Dad, hope you like Winter Fresh flavor. I'm hesitant to get Buster though. He's asleep and it seems like Donna's more relaxed with him there."

"Well, it's up to you Josh. You want to babysit your little brother for the night I have a Buster Bag in the car with dog food and an extra bowl, and whatever else he needs. Seems like he wants to stay and keep Donna company."

"Yeah. He should stay. I miss him too. I can drive him back tomorrow."

"Oh perfect! I don't have any client meetings, why don't you bring Donna and we can have dinner?"

"Dad I would love to, but she has a project she has to work on tomorrow with some classmates." Noah and Josh both couldn't hide their disappointment, but understood that school comes first.

"No worries, we will have plenty of opportunities. I just thought I would suggest it, in case you two were both free tomorrow. Come over anytime Josh, we can watch the Giants. Oh and Buster eats around 6:00," Noah grabbed his coat and started to head towards the door.

"Sounds good."

"Say hi to Donna and tell her that Miriam and I hope she feels better, and that we can't wait for her to visit."

"Thanks Dad I will tell her. Drive safe."

"I will, love you Joshua." Noah said as he embraced his son.

"I love you too Dad. Thanks again for everything.

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Around 4:00, Josh thought he heard stirring in his bedroom. Sure enough, when he quietly opened the door, there was Donna sitting up in bed with her legs crossed, happily petting Buster, and Buster was clearly relaxed after his long nap. The light on the nightstand had been turned on, illuminating Donna's face. She looked so much better, no more fever, no more puffy eyes, no more pain. Josh felt relief wash through his body. He had been worried about her all day.

"Hi Joshua," she gave him that dazzling smile and it damn near did him in. All he wanted to do was hold her, but was she ready for being touched?

"Hi Donnatella," he spoke softly as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Oh baby you look much better. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling a great deal better. Thank you for asking. It was, it was bad this morning. I'm sorry. If I had known it was going to be like that, I would have gone home last night. I didn't mean to burden you. I know my recovery is a lot to take in . . ." She looked down at her hands, suddenly very interested in lacing her fingers together.

"Donna?"

"Mmm?"

"Donna please look at me?" She complied and looked him in the eyes, he couldn't help but notice she looked a little defeated.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, and I really want to comfort you, hold you, rub your back, whatever you need. But I need to know if you have touch sensitivity. My Mom said you might."

"Josh that is awfully sweet of you to ask. I don't actually."

"K, good." He took her in his arms and rubbed light circles on her back in hopes that he would provide comfort, she relaxed in his embrace.

"You're not a burden, Donnatella. And I don't ever want you to feel like you need to handle this by yourself."

"I don't want you to worry Josh."

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her, "I'm your boyfriend, Donna. Of course I'm going to worry about you. And if you hurt, I wanna know about it and fix it for you."

"Ok," she gave him that incredible smile, her eyes bright.

"Ok?" He smiled back, encouraging her to continue.

"Ok my boyfriend is allowed to worry, and take care of me when I'm hurting. As long as I can do the same for him."

"Ok," he threw the words back at her, bringing out the dimples.

"Ok?" She's still giving him that smile, and he's certain that it could turn any bad day into a good one.

"Okay my girlfriend is allowed to worry, and take care of me when I'm hurting." They sat there, no more words needed to be said, their feelings communicated through a gentle touch of the face and a soft kiss to a palm, and then arms were wrapped around each other and a few minutes of quiet followed as they breathed each other in.

"You want me to warm your feet? I know they're tickly, I'll be careful," He asked a few minutes later.

"How did you know my toes were cold Pumpkin Patch?"

"My Mom said it's a common migraine symptom. I was . . . I was so worried Donna. I didn't know what to do, so I called my Mom while you were asleep. She was phenomenal. My Dad stopped by with a care package for you, and Matzo Ball soup, and ummm obviously Buster. Oh and flowers, I asked my Dad to stop and get you flowers. They're from me, me AND Buster; they're gerbera daisies . . . for good health, and lots of yellow ones for ya know . . .extra good health."

"Josh, Thank you, and please thank your parents for me, but you and your parents . . . and Buster, they didn't have to do that."

"We wanted to Donna. We want you to feel better and we want to take care of you. Please let us," he whispered that last bit with absolute sincerity. "So," he continued, "How bout' I rub those toes of yours to warm you up, then do you want to take a bath? My parents got you some lavender bath salts. You can relax in there for as long as you like."

"That sounds perfect, Josh. Thank you," she said quietly.

"You're welcome, anything for you Donnatella," Josh replied as he uncovered her left foot and began to gently massage it. "Oh wow, your feet are cold. my Mom put fleece socks in your care package, we'll get those on your toe-sies here so they're warm this evening."

"Oh Josh, this evening . . . our date, I'm so sorry. I slept all day! We were supposed to have gone to . . "

"Uh uh, I'm stopping you right there Miss Moss. Don't you dare feel bad about our plans changing. We're still gonna have our date tonight. It's just going to be more low key and equally if not more, amazing."

"But Josh, we were going to walk in the park, and meal plan and now we can't . . ."

"Donna?"

"Mmm?" Her brow was furrowed, she was worrying herself over this, he could tell.

"Donna it was never about the park, or the meal planning, or the takeout . . . It was about spending time with you. I wouldn't have cared if our first date was spent picking up trash in downtown New Haven, so long as it was with you."

"Josh . . . Joshua come here," she whispered. He did and was met with her tight embrace as she nuzzled her cheek against his, her hand finding its way to the curls behind his ear. "You're very sweet Josh. And I'm unbelievably lucky to have you in my life . . . Thank you for taking care of me . . . for everything."

"You're welcome Blue Eyes," he spoke softly as he rubbed her back. "And I'm the lucky 've done a lot of taking care of me too ya know: making sure I'm eating right, making sure I sleep enough, taking care of me when I was sick . . . that chicken noodle soup was delicious, and that lasagna was absolutely fantastic . . . So thank you for all that."

"You're welcome Pumpkin Patch," she smiled against his cheek.

"Is your neck sore? My Mom mentioned that too."

"Just a little bit. The bath will feel good."

"You want me to rub it later or maybe a heating pad? My parents care package included one."

"Mmm sounds nice, maybe a little bit of both?"

"That can be arranged." He sat back and started rubbing her right foot, gently massaging her toes, careful not to tickle her, and moving his hands slowly up her arch and to her ankle. Josh ran his fingers carefully over the bone, quickly finding the spot that had been fractured in her accident. Re-adjusting himself, he placed gentle kisses along her foot, "I haven't given this injury enough attention," he said between kisses. "Does it ever hurt you?"

"Not really. Just stiff on cold days."

"I'm glad it doesn't hurt you. But tell me when it feels stiff, I'll rub it for you baby." He slowly pushed her pajama pant up, laying kisses along her calf, shin, and up to her knee before languidly rolling her pant leg back down. He wasn't going to let it go any farther than that tonight. Donna was recovering and not feeling one hundred percent. But it was obvious, his little exploration of her soft skin left both of them breathing a little heavier than normal.

"So, Blue Eyes, while you're taking a bath I'm gonna start getting things ready for our date tonight. I'm taking you to a fancy restaurant called Josh and Buster's, it's about fifteen feet from where you currently are, and they serve Chinese takeout or pizza. Now it just so happens that both of the owners are right here, and would love to take your dinner request.

"Mmm I think pizza sounds perfect. How about extra cheese?"

"Any green stuff or fungi on top? We can put it on your half."

"Nah, just an extra cheese kind of night. Plus I know I won't finish my half, so I don't want you stuck with leftover pizza you don't like."

"Well, you could eat it for breakfast, or ya know I could pick the toppings off."

"That's okay. I'm just as happy eating a cheese pizza," she smiled at him, and he let himself get lost in her blue eye for a moment. How did he get so lucky to find her?

"And, this place is pretty casual, so ya know, feel free to wear a pair of your boyfriend's flannel pants and any one of his shirts of your choosing," he gave her a little wink. And dinner will also be accompanied by a movie, followed by ice cream sundaes, and probably another movie, and then plenty of cuddling, and ya know maybe some kissing if I'm lucky . . . but only if you want to. Only if you want to . . ." he trailed off, suddenly shy. Maybe she wasn't feeling well enough for that kind of activity.

"Josh?" She tilted her head and smiled.

"Mmm?

"I want to."


	23. The First Date

A/N: Awwww, they finally have their first date :)

I would love to get your thoughts on Josh and Donna's evening together outside of Cabbot's. I never expect reviews/comments, but it is always so lovely when I get them :) Thank you so much for reading this story! :) - Sea Dog

Josh was heating up the Matzo Ball soup and tidying up the living room when Donna came out of the bedroom after taking her bath. He didn't hear her, but enjoyed the surprise of feeling her arms wrap around him from behind, her warm body pressing against his.

"Hi Pumpkin Patch," she whispered into his ear, softly kissing it. The sensation sent a shiver down Josh's back.

"Hi Blue Eyes," he turned around and kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger for a moment and running his hands up and down her arms. "Your bath feel nice?"

"Mmmhmm. Those lavender salts are great."

"Good. And how are you feeling?" He knows he asked her this before her bath, but he wasn't familiar with migraines and wanted to check in frequently. "Do you want to lie down on the couch and watch some TV? You probably don't want to read after your migraine . . . do you want some tea?"

"I feel good Josh. A little weak, but good. And I'm only going to lie down on the couch when you do, we're about to have our first date and I don't want to miss a minute of it."

Josh couldn't help but grin, just the thought of spending the whole night with Donna completely away from Cabbot's excited him beyond measure. "Well, I love the outfit you have chosen. Red flannel pants and a Whalers t-shirt, perfect! Looks like we are going with a professional sports theme," he pointed to his bright blue New York Giants t-shirt, which matched his blue flannel pajama pants.

"Ahh, well we're going to have to get you some Packers gear."

"Donnnnna, I'm not a cheesehead."

"But your girlfriend is . . ."

"Yeah, that's true. You gonna make me wear one of those cheese hats?"

"I wasn't planning on it, but I am now," she winked at him as she reached for two bowls.

"Donnnna . . . I don't want to wear the hat."

"Well you brought it up Pumpkin Patch, now I can't get the image out of my head."

"If I have to wear one, so do you."

"Josh, I've been wearing one since I was three years old, they practically hand those things out in Wisconsin."

"I wanna see pictures!" The image of Donna wearing one of those hats as a little girl made him smile. She was probably adorable, Josh thought to himself.

"I'll show you some when we visit. My mom has a million photo albums and framed pictures around the house."

"Pictures of you with a cow . . . And ya know, other Wisconsin-ish stuff?"

"Yes plenty of those." She giggled.

"My dairy farm girl."

"Well I grew up in a condo, but there was a farm down the road."

"Close enough!" This caused them both to laugh.

"So Donnatella," he gave her a quick kiss before continuing, "We have our pajama pants on and we've got the Matzo Ball soup ready. So you know what that means?"

"Yes! It means our first date has officially started Josh!"

"Yupp!" He smiled and pumped both fists into the air, not caring at all that he might look slightly ridiculous. Being here with her meant everything to him. In seven short weeks, Donnatella Moss had become his world. It took everything he had not to kiss her senseless, that smile, those eyes . . . He kissed her anyway. There was absolutely nothing wrong with giving in to that desire, Josh thought.

"Oh kissing at the beginning of the first date, that's a little unconventional." She playfully teased him.

"Yeah I'm an unconventional kind of guy."

"That's how I can introduce you to my parents. Mom, Dad, this is my boyfriend Josh, he's an unconventional kind of guy . . ."

"Dad you've already had the pleasure of meeting Donna. Mom this is my dairy farm girlfriend . . ."

"I'd like to see you out there on a dairy farm Joshua, I bet you would be cute in overalls."

"I wouldn't last five minutes, let's be realistic here Donnatella."

"Oh it would be good for you Pumpkin Patch!" She teased, gently tousling his hair.

"Donna, you're not gonna surprise me one day when we visit Wisconsin and take me to work on that farm down the street, right? . . . RIGHT?"

"Guess you'll just have to wait and see."

Suddenly, Josh and Donna heard the pitter patter of dog paws walking towards them. "Buster, Donna's gonna make me work on a farm. Can you believe that?" Josh's question was greeted with a bark and a quick little walk in a circle.

"I think he likes the idea!"

"No he doesn't he's just hungry . . . . Oh no . . ." The look of realization crossed Josh's face.

"What's wrong Josh?"

"My dad had a "Buster Bag" in his car, with food and stuff. We got to talking and I forgot to grab it."

"That's okay, we can improvise, can't we Buster?" Donna bent down and started petting his soft fur, scratching behind his ears.

"What's he gonna eat?"

"I've seen your cabinets, you have some canned veggies and we can cook him some scrambled eggs. It's good for his coat; we can make enough for his breakfast too."

"Ah-kay. We can put some water in a cereal bowl for him too. See Buster, we got you covered," Josh joined Donna on the ground and started to play with his beloved yellow lab. "Maybe we need to get some Buster stuff for the apartment, huh pal?"

O0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

They sat at the table with their Matzo Ball soup talking about everything and nothing, jabbing each other playfully with their usual banter. From time to time, conversation would come to a halt and one would just smile at the other and repeat, "I can't believe we are finally on our date." The chalkboard countdown had been fun, and Donna said that's how she used to feel as a kid when Christmas was around the corner. Josh felt the same way, except he compared it to anticipating opening day for the Mets. Of course, Donna wanted to hear all about Josh's trips to Shea Stadium with his Dad and Grandfather. The sparkle in his eye as he reminisced was not lost on Donna. Baseball games with Noah and his Grandfather had been an important part of his childhood. The way he described the Mets program and how he could even remember the bright blue and orange colors on the cover page, how he loved the smell of popcorn and hot dogs, and how he would sit on his Grandfather's shoulders eager to get a good view as a player ran the bases after hitting one out of the park. Donna loved hearing about his childhood.

Josh experienced a similar feeling as Donna recounted her first trip to Lambeau field. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as she told him how she got all dressed up in her Packers jersey and cheesehead hat. She was only five at the time, so both of her brother's each held one of her hands while walking in and through the stadium. Josh made a mental note to make sure he got a good look at that adorable Donna picture when they would eventually visit her parents. She told him about sharing nachos and cheese with her brothers, and how Lorenzo would stand her up on his chair and hold on to her so she could see better. Josh loved knowing that her brothers were good to her, and that she had so many happy memories with them. He hadn't mentioned Joanie yet, it wasn't something he wanted to discuss at Cabbot's, or on their first date. But he wanted Donna to know about his big sister. He just wanted to wait until the right moment to tell her.

O0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Josh watched Donna start to open a can of mixed vegetables and crack a few eggs. A smile crossed his face as he set the clean bowls aside and slowly walked up behind Donna, resting his chin on her shoulder and hands on her hips, "See Blue Eyes, we still got a little meal planning in on our date." He felt Donna shiver slightly as he whispered into her ear. It was the same feeling he had earlier that night and it encouraged him to kiss her ear and linger on her earlobe just a little bit. Josh felt her body relax against him as he trailed kisses from her temple, to her ear, her cheek, and finally to her neck. He got lost in the scent of her as he nipped at her delicate skin for a moment.

"If you keep that up Mr. Lyman, Buster is never going to get his dinner," he could hear the slight shake in her voice.

"Ah-kay," he whispered, but continuing to kiss her neck.

"WOOF!" - Buster

"Okay, okay Buddy, we're getting your dinner ready! Yeesh," Josh laughed as he grabbed a fork and started to whisk the eggs.

"He's been patient. He watched us eat, he watched us prepare his dinner, now he wants to eat it Josh," Donna laughed as she poured the mixed veggies in with the eggs. Josh continued to whisk and then tossed the contents into a pan as Donna started scrambling Buster's food. Josh wrapped his arms around her again, resuming his ministrations on her neck, "I love meal planning by the way,"

"You just love trying to distract me."

"Mmm, is it working Blue Eyes?" He whispered as he ran his hands over the fabric of her t-shirt covering her stomach.

"I guess you'll never know Pumpkin Patch . . ."

"I see how it is." He continued to nuzzle and kiss her neck.

"Okay shame on you Joshua, we're trying to take care of Buster and you're distracting me."

"Oh so I AM distracting you, Donnatella?"

"Maybe," they both chuckled at that. "Grab his bowl for me please."

Josh watched as Donna poured half of the vegetable scramble into a bowl for Buster, "K Pumpkin Patch, let that sit for a moment, it might be too hot for him. Can you please grab me that tupperware so we can pour the rest in there?"

"Sure, and here let me pour it in."

"K, and you can be Buster's hero and feed him. So that's all there is to it. Successful meal planning for Buster! Good team work!" She offered him a high five, and he happily took it. Smiling, he pulled her close and gave her a quick kiss. "K, now part two of the date. You ready for a movie and some couch cuddling?"

O0o0oo0o0o0ooo

"Joshua, you have quite the collection of dude movies: Terminator, Terminator 2, Aliens, RoboCop, Eight Men Out, Die Hard . . . Ya know what I don't get? Why do all guys have a thing for Die Hard? I'll never understand . . ." Donna continued to flip through his movie collection, Josh joined her on the floor. "Well, how about this one?" He smiled at her, and Donna could tell immediately that he really did want to watch the movie he was clutching in his hand.

"Hmmm "Bull Durham". I've never seen this one, but it has Kevin Costner, so it has to be good."

"Donnnnnnna. Do you have a thing for Kevin Costner?"

"Well Josh he was Robin Hood."

"He was also Jim Garrison," Josh added.

"You would point that out, Mr. Politics."

"So it sounds like Bull Durham is a yes?" Josh waved the movie back and forth, a little grin on his face.

"Yes we can watch that one." She gave him a quick kiss as she got up from the floor, Josh quickly joined her.

"Great! Kevin Costner for you and baseball for me!"

"Ahhh so it's a baseball movie Pumpkin Patch."

"It is Donnatella, it is," he was bouncing on his toes, his enthusiasm contagious.

"Hmmm, I remember someone telling me they rowed in high school, which explains those lovely broad shoulders of yours. Did you play baseball too?"

"I did. Junior Varsity, Freshman and Sophomore years, rode the varsity bench as a Junior, and finally saw some good playing time as a Senior. And, what I also remember from that conversation, is that I promised to wrap you up in a big broad shouldered hug . . ." and he did just that, simply enjoying the feel of her in his arms, taking in the sweet scent of her hair, the faint trace of lavender on her skin. She felt warm and soft in his arms, she belonged there, he was meant to hold her.

"What position did you play?" She asked as they made themselves comfortable on the couch.

"Third base. Ever since I was in little league. I should go to a batting cage or something. I miss playing."

"Well, I'm not very good. But I will play catch with you."

"Yeah?!" Josh quickly turned and looked at her, excitement in his eyes.

"Yeah Josh. I used to play catch with my brothers." She gave him that smile and head tilt he loved so much.

"We gotta get you a glove, and some oil for the glove, and we gotta put a ball in it and toss it under your pillow for a while to get the right shape . . ." He was getting animated, and Donna loved it.

"That sounds like a lot of work for a glove."

"Oh but Donna you gotta do it, ya know, to get the perfect pocket," he slammed his fist into his hand a few times, like a baseball into a glove, to emphasize his point. Oh and I can show you how to hit a baseball too. I'm pretty good at it."

"Sounds like a date Pumpkin Patch."

"Oh I have all kinds of dates planned for us Donnatella," he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, he kept it soft, memorizing the feeling of her. "Let's start the movie, and order pizza in a little while."

"Okay," she whispered as she gave Josh a sweet, lingering kiss to match his own.

They cuddled together on the couch. Josh draped a blanket over them as he put his feet on the coffee table. Donna placed her hand on his stomach, her thumb running lightly up and and down. It was such a small, intimate gesture, and he loved it. Buster joined them on the couch, resting his head on Donna's feet.

"Looks like someone wants to join us."

"He just knows we're ordering pizza, and wants a front row seat. Don't give in to his puppy eyes Donna, he'll eat all your pizza."

"Awww, I'll share with Buster. I bet he loves crust."

"He loves everything! He's kind of a pig."

"Josh! Don't call Buster a pig."

"Well he is."

"Just for that, I'm giving Buster one of your slices . . ."

"Donnnnna no! I want my pizza."

"Well then apologize to Buster."

"Ugh fine. Sorry Buster."

"See not that hard."

O0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Well that was a cute movie.

"Cute what do you mean cute?"

"Well come on, it was cute how Crash came back to be with Annie after he broke the homerun record. Plus, they helped Nuke get to the show."

"Okay but I wouldn't call "Bull Durham" cute," Josh said as he ate his last bite of pizza, throwing the crust to Buster, who was currently laying on the floor patrolling for pizza bits.

"What would you call it then?"

"I can get on board with calling it a sports movie, with some romantic comedy attached."

"Okay so a sporty rom com?"

"No, not a rom com, I'm not calling it that."

"But it kind of is one . . ."

"No, no it's not. It's a sports movie, with some romantic comedy attached, like I said."

"Okay, how is that different than a sporty rom com?"

"It just is. It just is . . . my favorite movie isn't a rom com."

"Okay Pumpkin Patch. Whatever makes you feel better."

"Donnnnna it's not a rom com".

"Agree to disagree?" She looked at him with a twinkle in her eye, that gentle head tilt, and God that smile.

"K, agree to disagree Blue Eyes." He couldn't help but kiss her, those soft pink lips were begging to be kissed. "How's your head baby?" He wanted to check in and make sure the bright tv screen hadn't bothered her.

"No pain, thank you for asking . . ." she grazed his cheek with her fingertips. "So Joshua, how about part three of our date? Let's get those ice cream sundaes, then we can throw in "Die Hard."

"We're gonna watch my other favorite movie too!?" He could hardly believe his ears.

"We can watch some of it, but I do remember someone suggesting kissing this evening . . ." She walked away towards the kitchen, leaving Josh's mouth nearly hanging open.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes! Kissing is a yes, we need to make sure we get that scheduled into part three of our date," Josh explained as he slid eagerly in his socks across the hardwood floor from the living area to his kitchen. He landed right in front of Donna, who offered him a spoonful of Cookies and Cream.

"Ahh cold! But delicious," He said as he kissed her cheek.

"Cold lips Joshua, feels nice."

"Oh yeah?" He kissed her other cheek for good measure and moved to her earlobe.

"The ice cream is going to melt if you keep that up."

"Mmm that's okay." He continued to gently suck on her earlobe.

"But Josh, I really, really want a sundae . . . But I also really, really don't want you to stop what you're doing either," she whispered the last bit, enjoying the feel of Josh's cool mouth on her ear.

"K, we can make sundaes . . ." he began to kiss her neck, his hands gently massaging her waist. "Then we can give Buster some whipped cream . . ." He trailed kisses to her collar bone. "We can watch a little "Die Hard" and cuddle . . ." he moved back to her ear. "Then ya know, the kissing . . ." his lips met hers and his arms slightly tightened around her waist as they pressed against one another.

"WOOF!" - Buster

"Oh he heard you mention whipped cream didn't he? Now he's being impatient."

"Buster, come on pal. I gave you plenty of pizza."

"WOOF!" - Buster ran around in a small circle, tail wagging, pawing at the cabinets below the ice cream that Donna had taken out.

"Awww Josh he's so excited. Here, let's give him his treat and then we can make ours." Donna shook the whipped cream canister and poured some in Buster's bowl. He was done in about five seconds, and watched intently as Josh and Donna put their sundaes together. They each had a scoop of cookies and cream, Josh's favorite, and chocolate peanut butter, Donna's favorite. Josh had learned that from her chalkboard when she had drawn the monster dog and cat sharing chocolate peanut butter ice cream. They sprayed whipped cream over the top, Josh put a little bit on Donna's nose, and gently kissed it off. Next was the drizzle of hot fudge and the dusting of sprinkles, followed by a cherry on top. Josh offered Donna some nuts, which she added to her sundae. "I don't like those, but I got them in case you did," Josh explained as they grabbed some napkins and walked back to the couch, Buster following close behind.

O0o0oo0o0o0ooo

"That was delicious, but now I am so full," Donna said as she put her empty sundae dish on the coffee table next to Josh's. Buster wasn't quite sure what to do. He was sitting at the end of the table, trying to figure out which bowl he should stare at now that there were two. Donna stretched out on the couch and leaned back against Josh, covering herself with more of the blanket.

"Me too," Josh settled down a little more, draping his arm over Donna's shoulder.

"Are you comfortable Josh? I'm kinda all spread out, and leaning my body weight against your side."

"I am perfectly content like this Donna," he assured her as he threw his legs up on the coffee table, inadvertently blocking Buster's view of the ice cream dishes. Josh immediately felt two big paws on his legs as Buster made an attempt to get a better look.

"Buster, down pal," but he kept trying to lean forward towards the bowls.

"Buster Lyman, down," Josh asked again. This time it worked. Buster put his paws back on the ground and made himself comfortable on the floor, content to now just stare at Josh.

"Looks like you just needed to say his full name, that got his attention," Donna shrugged as she looked up at Josh.

"Yeah but now he's staring at me."

"He just wants you to look deep into those big brown eyes of his so that you will let him lick those ice cream bowls. "Sorry Buster, there's chocolate in there, so that's a no-no for you," Donna told him. Now he was staring at her.

"Ahh, see he's moved on to you. Hoping you'll have some sympathy and get him a snack.

"Buster, just watch the movie. Get comfy down there," Donna suggested as she leaned over and looked at him. Instead, he walked over towards the couch and looked at the two of them.

"No pal. Donna and I are sitting up here. Ya know maybe I should grab him a pillow and a blanket?" Josh suggested as he carefully got up and went to his bedroom. When he came back, Buster had already taken his seat on the couch.

"Oh no. Absolutely not. This is date night, and you don't get to take my place on the couch pal. Down! Come on Buster . . ." It took a few minutes, but he finally settled down on the floor with a blanket and pillow.

"Now I'm pretty sure I promised someone a massage earlier this evening . . ." Josh mentioned as he sat cross legged on the couch right behind Donna so that he could rub her neck and shoulders. It wasn't long before she was leaning back into his touch, enjoying the feel of his warm hands lightly rubbing her neck.

"Does that feel good?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Are you in any pain?"

"No pain, just relaxed and happy."

"You have no idea how happy that makes me Donna. Do you want the heating pad? I know you mentioned it earlier . . ."

Donna arched her back and looked at Josh, "No this is perfect." she moved her hand behind his neck and gently pulled his head down, her lips seeking his. She parted her lips for him and his tongue met hers for the first time in an intimate exploration. His hands wandered a little lower to her collar bones, gently kneading the slightly tight muscles. He felt her smile against his lips, and he felt her move her body against his, craving his touch. Donna pulled away for a moment but kept her eyes locked on Josh as she took his hands and guided them from her shoulders and down the inside of her t-shirt. Josh couldn't help but look at her all bright eyed, this was new territory. "Yeah?!" He asked as he raised an eyebrow. He stilled his hands for a moment, needing to hear her say "yes."

"Yeah, Josh". She smiled as she thread her hand through his curls and pressed her lips against his. And then he was touching her breasts for the first time and Josh damn near lost his mind. She was warm, and soft, and perfect, and it was having quite the effect on him and his body.

"Does this feel okay?" He whispered between kisses.

"Yes, your hands feel amazing Josh," she answered in a breathy tone as their lips met again.

It wasn't long before they adjusted into a more comfortable position, laying pressed together on the couch underneath the soft, fleece blanket. He loved the feeling of her hands on his biceps and chest, warm against his skin. Josh felt her touch everywhere as that familiar warm sensation passed through him. If kissing and wandering hands were having this much of an effect on him, Josh couldn't even imagine how incredible making love with Donna would feel. Just the feeling of her hands sliding under his t-shirt made him dizzy.

"Donna Moss, you look like you have been thoroughly and properly kissed," he smiled a few minutes later as he ran his thumb over her swollen lips. Her skin was flushed, just a little pink, and she looked as beautiful as ever.

"Mmm you too Pumpkin Patch," she gave him a gentle kiss, lightly tugging at his bottom lip. "Your hair is sticking up in a million different directions."

"That's because your hands have been in it," he couldn't stop kissing her, running his hands over her soft skin, rubbing his foot against her flannel pajama pants.

"We missed the movie, the credits are on," she laughed between his kisses.

"I don't care. This is way better than watching any movie . . ."

"Even Bull Durham?" She pulled back and grinned at him.

"Even Bull Durham." he slowly kissed his way up the column of her neck, lingering on her jaw, and then back to her lips, where he was content to stay for a while. Kissing Donna for the past hour and a half had been the most exhilarating moment of his life. Every time his lips met hers, he fell in love a little bit more.

O0o0oo0o0o0ooo

"You're starting to look a little sleepy, Blue Eyes," Josh said softly as he stroked her cheek. They had been laying on the couch talking for about fifteen minutes when he noticed her eyes start to flutter.

"Mmm, yeah a little bit."

"What time do you need to meet your classmates tomorrow?"

"Noon."

"What time do you think you will be done with everything?"

"We should be done with the project by 5:00, then I have some homework to do, so I should be done with everything by around 9ish?"

"How would you feel about spending the night here tomorrow?"

"Depends . . . Can I wear these flannel pajama pants again?" She playfully asked.

"Donna you can have those, if ya know, it means you will come over tomorrow night.

"I would love to have another sleepover with you Josh, flannel pjs or not, just to be clear."

"Ah-kay." He absolutely could not hide his smile. "All the same, I'm adding those pants to the Josh Lyman Sleepover Kit. You ready to go lay down?"

"Yeah. My body's telling me it's tired."

"You had quite the ordeal this morning. I bet you're exhausted." Although they had a fantastic evening, Josh still remembered that she had been sick all day and needed her rest. They made their way to his room and got ready for bed. Buster made himself comfortable on the floor on Donna's side; he wanted to be close to her, Josh could tell. Soon after, Donna's restoril started to kick in and he watched as she started to let sleep takeover.

"Good night Joshua. Thank you for a perfect first date." She whispered as she snuggled into his side a little more. "And g'night Buster."

"Mmm it was perfect wasn't it. Good night Donnatella, sweet dreams . . . and g'night Buster," Josh said as he kissed Donna softly and made sure the comforter was snug around her shoulders, keeping her warm as they fell asleep.

October 19th, 1991: It was the perfect first date for Joshua Lyman and Donnatella Moss.


	24. Six Weeks

A/N: Thank you so much for all the comments last chapter :) This next one is more of an overview of what happens between their first date and Thanksgiving, I hope you enjoy the chapter :)

When Josh opened his eyes the following morning, he was surprised to find the other side of the bed empty. Even Buster was gone, and he had a split second of panic until he sat up allowing the sleepy haze to drift away. Something smelled incredible, and it wasn't the usual aroma of just coffee, it was coffee and something else. Josh peeked around his bedroom door and was welcomed to a lovely Sunday morning view of Donna and Buster. She had her back turned to him and Buster stood next to her with his ever constant wagging tail, he was clearly interested in whatever Donna was making.

"Good morning Donnatella," he spoke softly as his arms wrapped around her. Josh didn't want to startle her while she was cooking over a hot stove.

"Good morning Joshua," she smiled at him and quickly went back to focusing on her task.

"Good morning Buster! Are you helping make breakfast!?"

"He's supervising, making sure I'm doing it right."

"Looks perfect to me, and it smells amazing."

"French toast. My mom's recipe."

"Yum, I could get used to Sunday morning French toast."

"I wanted to do something nice for you," she tilted her head back and gave him a chaste kiss. "I brewed coffee. Go relax on the couch, I'm almost done."

"Thank you Blue Eyes, I will get your cup ready too." Josh took the opportunity to trail gentle kisses along the scar on her neck since Donna had her hair pulled back. Much to their delight, they had discovered over the week that Josh's kisses along Donna's incision felt good for her. "How are you feeling this morning?" Reflexively, Josh had woken up a few times during the night. Once he was content in knowing that Donna wasn't in any pain or having any nightmares, he would drift back to sleep.

"Really good this morning. Another "3" kind of day." She smiled.

"I love those kind of days." Donna waking up feeling well made Josh's morning instantly better.

O0o0oo0o0o0ooo

They had a relaxing morning together, enjoying their breakfast and coffee on the couch. Some mindless TV show was on, but they weren't paying attention to it, since Josh and Donna were more interested in resuming their couch activities from the night before. After a few hours together, the pair reluctantly got ready for the day and Josh drove Donna back to her apartment so that she could meet her classmates.

He hated saying goodbye and so did she. They finally had a taste of what it felt like to spend some real time together, and neither of them were ready to let go of that. Josh spent the afternoon studying and taking Buster for a walk. He also sent Donna's coat to the dry cleaners to remove the coffee stain. He made it to Westport around 4:30 and the first thing out of Noah's mouth had been, "You forgot the Buster Bag!" Josh went on to explain how he and Donna made dinner for Buster, explaining every detail of the meal planning. Noah and Miriam couldn't have been happier to hear that Donna was feeling better and that the two finally had their first date.

To Josh's delight, his mom had made noodle kugel for dinner. And before he could even ask, Miriam let her son know that she already had a to-go plate prepared for Donna. After dinner and the dishes, the Lymans settled into the living room to watch the rest of game two of the World Series. Miriam and Noah couldn't help but smile as they watched Josh continually check his watch. He didn't want to be late picking Donna up.

He made it to her apartment a few minutes before 9:00 and not long after they were in Josh's kitchen. Donna happily ate the noodle kugel, which she found delicious, while Josh prepared two ice cream sundaes. They settled on the couch to watch a little TV and Josh noticed that Donna was using her left hand to eat her sundae. She gave him a smile and explained that painting all afternoon had tired her hand. She shrugged it off as if it were no big deal, content to just be relaxing with Josh, and forgetting about her injuries. When they finished eating, Josh gently rubbed her hand and fingers. Eventually, they made it to his bedroom and fell asleep wrapped in each others arms under the soft, warm comforter.

O0o0oo0o0o0ooo

For the next six weeks, they fell into a routine. Unfortunately, between group study sessions and Donna's work schedule, they didn't get a chance to go on their "all day meal planning and park date". With the second half of the semester rapidly coming to a close and all the demands of law school and a double major, their time together was limited to just a few hours here and there, and late night sleepovers after leaving Cabbot's. Donna spent Thursday through Saturday night with Josh, and by mid November, the "Josh Lyman Sleepover Kit" had turned into a dresser drawer and space in the closet. Josh loved seeing Donna's things mixed with his.

Sunday nights were easier for Donna to stay at her place, since she had class at 7:00 on Mondays which required a lot of her art supplies. Since both Wednesday and Thursday were her long days with work and school, it made sense for Donna to spend a few week nights at her apartment. Josh of course, drove her home those nights. Usually they ended up making out for awhile before slowly pulling away and saying good night. Same went for her breaks at Cabbot's. She would draw a picture of his Volvo on her chalkboard, or he would smile at her from his table or she would smile at him before they walked outside separately to his car, only to fall all over each other in his volvo while they took any extra moment they could to be alone. No one seemed to catch on, except Oscar. He knew damn well what they were doing, and told Josh that he had a very distinct "I've been kissing Donna Moss" look.

Josh loved Friday nights into Saturday afternoons best, since it was when they were able to spend the most time together. Donna didn't have to meet her classmates until 1:00, so every Saturday they made their way to Cabbot's and sat on the couch up in the loft where they would enjoy their coffees and whatever breakfast item of their choosing, usually bagels. She taught him about Van Gogh and Wyeth and he taught her about Tip O'Neill and Jim Wright. Donna even gave Josh little drawing lessons, and he was getting pretty good at drawing Buster. But sometimes, sometimes they just sat quietly reading a book, content to just be next to each other.

In the beginning, they had learned so much about one another through their chalkboard messages, but now they were able to do that purely through spending time together. Josh could tell when Donna was tired, her eyes would flutter and it would usually be accompanied with an "mmm" and a smile while her eyes were closed for a moment. It was cute to see at home, but concerning at Cabbot's. He learned that her hand bothered her most on Thursday nights, so he took extra time rubbing it while they cuddled on the couch or in bed. Donna had quickly picked up on Josh's mannerisms. She knew that when Josh threw his hands in his pockets and stared at the floor while scuffing it with his shoe, that he had something on his mind but didn't know how to say it. She learned that he often ran his hands through his hair briskly or up and down his cheeks when he was trying to figure out a solution to a problem or cope with stress. Donna also learned that kissing Josh was the only way to calm him down when he got riled up, and Josh learned that kissing Donna was the only way to bring her back from a tangent.

O0o0oo0o0o0ooo

There were of course, some rough times too. One night in early November Josh sat bolt up in bed around 2am when he heard his phone ringing. His alert "Hello", was met with sniffles on the other end and finally his name in a pleading tone. "Baby I will be right there." And not five minutes later she's sobbing in his arms in the apartment entry, and he's rubbing her back, whispering reassuring words. His heart breaks for her when she says she just can't be in her apartment right now, everything reminds her of Wisconsin and the accident. The dream had been awful, she had relived the heinous event where she could hear Josh's voice outside the jeep, but he couldn't get to her. He watched her like a hawk that night as she fell asleep in his arms, looking for any signs of bad dreams.

Then there were the doctor appointments. Josh was able to go to all of them, except for her therapy sessions, those were for her and Josh certainly didn't want to interfere with that part of her healing process. The physical therapy was hard for him to watch and he hated seeing her struggle, especially with her hand mobility. But when she had her victories, which were becoming more frequent, he's glad that he was there to see it, to see her smile at him. But there was one particular visit with her Neurologist that affected Josh deeply. During her routine exam, Dr. Capshaw asked Donna how she had been feeling and then pulled the rug out: "Donna have you had any serious migraines since the last time you were admitted to the hospital in September?"

Josh immediately began to panic. When was she in the hospital in September? Why didn't he know about it? Turned out that the night her incision was infected, Donna ended up having a migraine, landing her in the ER and then admitted for observation. Josh kept it together for the rest of the appointment, but fell apart when they got outside.

"Donna I should have given you my phone number sooner. I should have stepped up. I should have made more of an effort to run after you that night. Who did you call? Please tell me you had someone to call. A friend, a classmate, a co-worker, Cody?"

"My mom. I called my mom."

"She's not in Connecticut Donna. Baby who took care of you when you were sick? Who was here?" The desperation evident in his voice.

Donna looked down at her feet "No one," she whispered.

He didn't know what to do. How to channel his pain and his anger. The thought of her calling a cab late at night while she's in unbearable pain, the thought of her laying in the cold Emergency Room and then hospital bed alone, and the thought of her taking a cab to an empty apartment early in the morning . . . Josh could barely see straight. He had looked for her that night for two hours, why didn't he think to check the hospital? Drifting back from his thoughts, he didn't realize how far away he had walked until he heard her voice. She sounded small and unsure of herself, "Josh? Josh why are you standing so far away? Are you angry with me?"

"Oh baby, I'm sorry. No, no I'm not angry with you. I didn't mean to walk away. It's not like that. I just got lost in my own head. C'mere." And he held her close right there in the medical office parking lot. He felt like a real ass for making her even think he was angry with her. He had a terrible suspicion that Michael Fischer had made her feel like this far too often.

"You will never have go through any of this alone ever again, I promise Donna. And if I can't be there, my Mom and Dad will be, or Oscar." He wanted to tell her right then and there how much he loved her, how he just kept falling more in love with her, but he knew that he wanted to share that during a happy moment, not one tainted by sad memories. That night, Josh made a support plan for Donna as she relaxed in a bubble bath. Josh was first, then his parents, Oscar, Cody, her parents, and her brothers. He also added his dad's work line and the phone number to Temple B'nai Israel, since his mom volunteered there so often. Donna couldn't help it when tears welled up in her eyes from Josh's thoughtfulness.

O0o0oo0o0o0ooo

The second half of the semester wasn't just a busy time for Josh and Donna, it was also a busy time for Miriam and Noah. Between all the activities at B'nai Israel and Noah's caseload, there just wasn't a free weekend to get together like they had all hoped. But to everyone's delight, there was a four day window where everyone was available, but it was in late November. Not long after their first date, Josh told Donna he was going to really miss her when she went home for Thanksgiving. She just smiled at him and tilted her head, "I'm not going home Josh." Not five minutes later, Josh was on the phone with his parents cementing holiday plans. He was bouncing on his feet he was so excited.

So it was settled, Josh was finally going to be able to bring Donna home to Westport and Donna and Miriam would finally meet. They would be staying with his parents to celebrate Thanksgiving and the first night of Hanukkah, which fell on the calendar the following Sunday. Needless to say, the two were ecstatic to be able to spend four uninterrupted days together. No school and no Cabbot's. By some miracle, Cabbot's had decided to stay closed on the Friday following Thanksgiving. A lot of studying would have to happen over the weekend, but they were more than okay with that.

With the holiday rapidly approaching, Josh knew that he wanted to have a heart to heart with Donna about Joanie. He didn't want to blindside her and he didn't want to tell her late at night after a long shift at Cabbot's. He chose the Sunday morning before Thanksgiving, after they had eaten their french toast, turkey bacon, and much to Josh's dismay, a fruit cup.

"Baby I'll do the dishes later, will you come sit next to me on the couch?" He had asked her softly. She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek as they got comfortable.

"So when we go to my parents, you're going to see a lot of pictures of a little girl. Her name was Joanie, and she was my sister." He looked at her with a sad smile, pausing to give her a moment. Donna ran her thumb over his hand and then brought it to her lips and softly kissed his fingers. Her tenderness soothed his soul. They sat there in comfortable silence, there was no rush.

"I was five when she died. There was a fire and she didn't get out," he paused again before continuing. "She was babysitting me and I wanted popcorn. It . . . It caught on fire and I got scared and ran outside while Joanie tried to put it out, but she umm, she got trapped inside." He put his head down a little, squeezing Donna's hand as he continued, "I miss her."

Donna knew instinctively how to comfort him, what he needed. She cupped his face and lightly stroked his cheek with her thumb before leaning forward to lovingly place gentle kisses on his forehead, then his eyelids, his nose, his cheeks, and finally his lips, "Tell me about your favorite memory," she whispered.

God, did Josh love her. Donna just knew that talking about Joanie was what he needed at that moment. She knew he didn't need or want the standard "I'm sorry" that he and his parents had gotten from people over the years. So for once, he got to talk about his sister and laugh and enjoy the memories, and not feel sad. He told Donna about the train set with his toys and cookies running between his room and Joanie's. How they would play the Dreidel game at Hanukkah, make cookies, and watch Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. He told her about listening to Joanie play the piano, and how much she loved Ava Maria.

There would come a time when Josh would open up to Donna about the agonizing guilt he carries over Joanie's death. But that moment didn't have to be right then. It would be a discussion that would come naturally, when it was meant to. He wanted her to know everything about him, about his life.

He couldn't wait to take her home to Westport.


	25. Unconditional Positive Regard

Happy weekend :) Okay so I know I made it seem like the next chapter would be the start of the Westport Arc, and I had fully intended to write it. However, I was hit with a bit of inspiration this week, and I just knew that this chapter had to come first. It is the first time I am writing from Donna's perspective in this story. I wanted to explore some things that Donna hasn't shared with Josh yet. I had intended to write a similar chapter after the Westport Arc, but I thought this would be better. Thank you all again for reading this story :)

Donna sat with her tea in hand as she relaxed and waited for Lisa in the lobby. She liked this little room, the warm earth tone colors on the wall, the soft music, and the small waterfall trickling in the corner. It always brought a sense of calm to her. She loved to just close her eyes and focus on the sounds around her, and not think about her chaotic work and class schedule. Classes were over for Thanksgiving break and wouldn't resume until the following Tuesday. All she had to do was get through tonight's shift at Cabbot's, and then she would have four uninterrupted days with Josh in Westport. But as excited as she was, Donna had some concerns that she wanted to talk to Lisa about today. Therapy, Donna found, always made her feel better, even during the more intense sessions. Donna was always honest with Lisa and never held back. It was the only way she was going to get better. And Lisa always gave Donna unconditional positive regard.

Donna was worried about a replay of her experience with the Fischer family. They had made it perfectly clear that she would never be good enough for Michael, no matter how much she tried. Now, a part of her couldn't help but worry that the Lymans would think the same thing. But most of all, she worried that eventually Josh would believe she wasn't good enough. The thought made her sick to her stomach.

"Donna, are you ready?" Lisa's question brought Donna back from her thoughts. She smiled and nodded her head.

"You looked deep in thought out there," Lisa began as the two women got comfortable in her office in the oversized chairs.

"Oh ya know, just swimming around in my insecurities," Donna looked down at her hands gripping the mug of tea for warmth.

"Well then, let's start there."

Donna let out a long breath as she gathered her thoughts. She knew it was best just to get right to the point. Any beating around the bush was really just a waste of time in therapy.

"I'm terrified that Josh's parents are going to think I'm not good enough."

There was a brief moment of silence as Lisa contemplated that. "I can see how you would feel that way, but Donna?"

"Mmm?"

"The Lymans are not the Fischers."

"I know. And I also know that I need to remember that."

"What else are you afraid of?" Lisa knew that there was more to this and Donna went right back to her biggest fear that had her so deep in thought in the waiting room.

"That eventually, Josh will think I'm not good enough." Donna slumped deeper into the chair, and put her tea off to the side so she could wrap her arms around herself. Right now was one of those times where she really thought she was going to break. Lisa, ever so observant, took notice.

"I can absolutely understand how that is a real fear for you. But I'm wondering if it goes back to your issues with trust."

"I'm not sure I am following, Lisa."

"Your experience with Michael and his family instilled trust issues within you. For a year and a half both he and his parents were awful to you. And then he put you in danger and caused a terrible accident, and he abandoned you in that jeep. Deep down in your subconscious, there is a piece of you that believes this new relationship with Josh will be just like your old one with Michael, where you end up being told you aren't good enough and then abandoned in a car. You are terrified of another accident and a broken heart. So yes, you are having trouble trusting people."

Donna was stunned. Lisa had just peeled back so many layers to find the root of her trust issues, and hell even Donna didn't know what the root was. But she was damn sure that Lisa had just hit the nail on the head. A lot of pieces started clicking into place. Yes she was scared of another accident, of being abandoned in a dark car, and being told she wasn't good enough, and of Josh breaking her heart. But her brain immediately went to the reasons why this wouldn't happen with Josh and his parents.

She smiled slightly at the realization, relief coursing through her.

"Josh would never do that to me," she began almost shyly.

Lisa smiled, it's nice to see a client have a breakthrough, especially one who had gone through a horrific trauma like Donna had. Lisa waited for her to continue.

"When I first got in the car with Josh, he told me how safe volvos were, that I didn't have to worry . . ." Donna blushed as she thought about what had happened next, their first kiss had been incredible. She pressed her fingers to her lips just thinking about the memory.

"I'm safe in a car with Josh, I wasn't with Michael. Josh took care of me when I was sick and Michael ignored me when I had the flu. Josh's parents sent me a care package when I had a migraine, and Michael's parents said that me having the flu was not their concern."

"So, can you see how thinking that the Lymans, and more so Josh, believing that you aren't good enough is unrealistic?

"Yeah, yeah I can actually."

"So how are you feeling now Donna?"

"Better."

"So you can see how changing the way you think changes the way you feel?"

"Yes. Is that some kind of therapeutic technique Lisa?"

"Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, tried and true."

"Ahhh," Donna smiled a bit, but it quickly turned to worry as she bit her lip and started to wrap her arms around herself again. The intrusive thoughts were making their way back into her mind, they seemed to have made a home there since her accident.

"But what if down the road they think differently? What if two years from now, I'm not enough?"

"Donna, why would that happen?"

"I don't know. I mean I'm just a middle class girl from Wisconsin. My parents own an auto mechanic shop. Michael's dad is a surgeon and Josh's dad is a litigator. Josh loves politics, and maybe when he's done law school, he will want something more . . . someone more . . . like a powerful woman in politics, not some girl who paints. Donna tugged herself tighter, that all too familiar feeling of breaking was back.

"Donna, we've talked about trust. But let's get a little more specific. Now you just said a few moments ago that Josh would never do what Michael did to you, so let's talk about how much you trust Josh."

Donna took a moment to breathe. She thought about Josh. The way she felt when he held her, the sound of his voice in the morning, the way his kisses make her feel. She already felt herself starting to relax, Josh was her strength. Since the moment she had met him he made her feel safe, a feeling she hadn't had since her accident.

"I came to Yale, not trusting anyone. I didn't plan on letting anyone in. I was there to get my degrees and then I don't know. I didn't plan that far ahead, I was in the mindset of living each day better than the last, enjoying the present. As a barista, I have to be pretty social, so it was natural I guess that co-workers would want to hang out, or a nice customer would want to chat. I didn't want to hangout with anyone, and I really didn't want to chat, but it was my job so I did. But then Josh walks in, and he's disheveled and in a rush, and maybe a little frantic, and he has these dimples and wild hair and he's absolutely . . . perfect. Then I just can't help but smile, and I realize that for the first time, I actually do want to talk to somebody. And then I started to realize that I just instinctively trusted him." Donna paused and smiled as she removed her arms from around herself before continuing, "Lisa, I trust him completely, with every fiber of my being. Even though I have these intrusive thoughts, I know deep in my soul that I can trust Josh. He helped me understand in his own way that it's okay to be taken care of, especially when you're hurting. And he just, he just gets me, and I get him, and I'm . . ." Donna paused again briefly, she's never said it outloud and Lisa waited for a moment, knowing that Donna needed to say it in her own time. "I'm in love with him."

"You most certainly are Donna." Lisa smiled as she wrote on her notepad.

"Since day one, I have loved Josh."

"You deserve to be in love, Donna."

"Thank you," Donna couldn't help but smile as she looked out the window for a moment. Two days from now would be the six month anniversary of her accident. When she awoke from her coma, Donna expected doctors appointments, bed rest, and pain as part of her healing process. She certainly didn't think love would be a part of it, but it seemed to be what her mind and heart needed most to heal.

"So, because I'm your therapist I have to ask you hard questions . . ." Lisa began, bringing Donna back from her thoughts. "I remember you said a while back that you had put Michael on a pedestal, and you also said earlier that Josh is absolutely perfect . . . Do you feel like you put him on a pedestal too?" Lisa asked with curiosity as she got a little more comfortable in the oversized chair.

"I can see how it might look like that, really I can. Josh isn't perfect, no one is, but he's perfect for me. He's everything I never knew I was looking for. I know he has his flaws, but that's part of what I love about him, all his little quirks and imperfections. How he refuses to eat any cereal other than Lucky Charms or Cocoa Puffs, how he has to tug on the door handle twice after he locks it, how he tosses his dirty clothes on the floor next to the hamper . . . and he may be stubborn, argumentative, and high-strung, but he's also kind and giving, and thoughtful, and he has a wonderful mind. I used to put Michael on a pedestal, I worshipped the ground he walked on. I don't put Josh on a pedestal, he's on the ground right by my side, holding my hand as we walk through this journey together."

Lisa was silent for a moment, then smiled at Donna, "I'm so glad you see the difference."

"I think the difference is that when it comes down to it, I'm in love with Josh and I wasn't in love with Michael. I mean at the time I thought I was, but I think I was just infatuated . . . ensorcelled really. I couldn't believe that a senior, pre-med student was interested in me, a freshman. He was charming and cute, but the relationship turned unhealthy pretty quickly, I know we've talked about that, and I don't really want to go down that road today, if that's okay . . ."

"Of course it's okay Donna."

"After my accident, I had all these injuries and I was left with scars, both physical and emotional. And yes my heart was broken, but it was broken because Michael abandoned me and left me to die. He made me feel like I wasn't important enough to save, like my life was meaningless. That's what broken my heart. Does that make sense?" Donna asked hesitantly. She wasn't sure if she was explaining this well.

"Yes it makes complete sense." Lisa responded empathetically as she jotted down more notes.

"Donna?" Lisa continued as she put her pen and notebook down.

"Mmm?"

"Can you think of another reason why you're worried about the the Lymans thinking you're not good enough? About Josh thinking you're not good enough?"

"You mean besides my experience with Michael and his family?"

"Yes, besides that."

"No. I mean that it's right?"

"It's certainly a big part of it."

"But there is more?"

"I think so Donna."

"I know I am supposed to figure this out with your guidance . . ."

Lisa looked at Donna for a moment and took a deep breath, she knew Donna well enough to know that all she had to do was start the sentence, and Donna would put the rest of the puzzle together.

"Six months ago, a beautiful, intelligent woman was left in a jeep to die, because she wasn't important enough for Michael Fischer to save-" And as Lisa knew would happen, Donna connected the dots as she began to repeat and then add to Lisa's words:

"Six months ago, a beautiful, intelligent woman was left in a jeep to die, because she wasn't important enough for Michael Fischer to save- so now she can't help but feel like she isn't good enough."

"Is that accurate Donna?"

"Yes," her voice barely a whisper. Donna dabbed at her tears with a tissue as a long silence filled the air.

"I know this is hard, but you really made a lot of progress today Donna. Can you tell me what you learned?"

"That I'm afraid of not being good enough for Josh and his family, because when I was abandoned in that jeep by Michael, he made me believe that I wasn't worth saving, that I wasn't good enough."

"That's right. Donna I think you just connected a lot of puzzle pieces in your healing process. How are you feeling?

"Relieved I think, but also sad," she looked at her clasped hands as she gathered her thoughts. "It's sad that someone had the power to make me believe that I'm not good enough and that my life wasn't worth saving. But you know what? I'm not going to give him that power anymore, he's done enough damage. I'm moving forward with my life and I am ready to get back to a place where I truly believe and feel that I am good enough. I'm going to get there, with your help, with Josh's help, but most importantly, with my own strength."

"Your resilience is incredible Donna. And the determination and belief in your voice is something I have never heard before, until now. You're right, you will get there. And we can start our work together on that next week. But for now, go enjoy your time with Josh, and when those intrusive thoughts enter your mind, just remember the words you just said, that you aren't going to give Michael that power anymore and that you are moving forward with your life. And remind yourself-"

"That the Lymans are not the Fischers, and that I trust Josh completely," Donna said matter of factly.

"That the Lymans are not the Fischers, and that you trust Josh completely," Lisa repeated.

"I can do that." Donna smiled.

"I know you can. Happy Thanksgiving Donna." Both ladies got up and walked towards the door.

"Happy Thanksgiving Lisa," Donna said as she waved goodbye and exited towards the waiting room.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo

Donna walked outside happy to feel the sun on a cold November afternoon. She felt like she had done a lot of work and made some real progress in today's session with Lisa. Walking over to Josh's car, she pulled out his spare car key which sat comfortably on her Yale lanyard next to the apartment key he had given her a few weeks back. The volvo was running and she couldn't help but smile, he always wanted to make sure the car was warm for her, and the thoughtful gesture was not lost on Donna.

She noticed he was asleep in the driver seat, and quietly unlocked his passenger door and slid in next to him. She placed soft kisses on his brow and felt that now familiar warm sensation flow through her body. The first time Josh had touched her hand she had felt it immediately. She trailed her lips down to his cheek and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss there. Just being near Josh made Donna feel like she had healed a little bit more. He would never hurt her, Donna knew that. She saw him smile, as he kept his eyes closed, "Hi Blue Eyes," he whispered.

"Pumpkin Patch," she said quietly.

"How was your talk with Lisa? How are you feeling?"

"Happy," she whispered as she kissed him again. She would never get enough of him.

He slowly opened his eyes and placed his hand on her cheek tenderly. "I'm gonna say this a day early."

"Say what?" She smiled.

"I'm so thankful for you."


	26. Westport Part I

Oh my God, Josh your house is beautiful!" Donna exclaimed as they pulled into the driveway of a traditional New England colonial.

"You're beautiful," he smiled as he parked the car at the bottom driveway to the side of the house.

"Josh! You're making me all blushy."

"Blushy?" He asked with surprise. "Is that even a word?"

"I don't know. You think of a synonym, Mr. 760 Verbal."

"Hmmm, flushed? Rutilant? Effulgent? Bashful . . ."

"You know what? I like blushy."

"Oh but Donna, I have more synonyms," he teased as he leaned over and kissed her.

"I'm sure you do Pumpkin Patch."

Their playful banter was interrupted by the sound of paws scratching the car window. Donna turned and saw a very excited Buster, who now had his snout against the glass.

"Looks like your fan club came out to greet you, Blue Eyes."

They had barely gotten out of the car when Josh heard his mom's voice, "Oh my God I finally get to meet you!" Miriam Lyman joyfully announced as she ran right past Josh and hugged Donna. "Oh you're even more beautiful than I pictured! Let me get a good look at you . . . Oh your dress is lovely dear and those earrings are gorgeous! Joshua, get Donnatella's bag."

"Mom I was going to."

"Oh I cannot wait to get to know you this weekend! We are so glad you are here." Miriam gave Donna another hug, happy to finally meet her son's Bashert. Donna embraced Miriam, and immediately felt all of her fears and insecurities drift away. The Lymans definitely were not the Fischers.

"Yes we are," Noah added as he came over and hugged Donna. "Good to see you again Donnatella."

"You too Noah. And Miriam it is wonderful to finally meet you. And I just wanted to thank you both for your care package, I know Josh has already passed that message along but I just-"

"Oh Donna you don't need to thank us again. We were so worried about you. In fact, I wanted to ask you, do you keep a journal to track your headaches? Maybe we could look at it together and shed some lights on any patterns . . ." Miriam said as she linked her arm through Donna's and they walked through the garage.

"I would like that very much Miriam," Josh heard Donna say as they disappeared into the house.

"She loves her already. I'm not sure how much of Donna you will see this weekend. In fact, it may just be you, me, and Buster watching football!" Noah laughed as he helped Josh with the bags.

O0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o

"Now Donnatella, that is such a beautiful name. Joshua says your Mom is Italian and your Dad is Irish?" Miriam asked as she checked on the turkey.

"Yes, it is quite the combination. Naturally, my Mom being my mom, wanted very Italian names for her children. Would you like some help with dinner Miriam?"

"Oh no dear. I just want you and Joshua to relax. I will make Noah help me. Buster too. So there's you, Lorenzo, and Gian Carlo. And your parents are Tim and Lucia?"

"Yes, but my mom goes by Lucy. I think she does it so that my Dad doesn't feel bad about being the only one in the house without an Italian name." Donna couldn't help but smile, it warmed her heart knowing that Josh had taken the time to tell his parents about her family.

"Do you have an Italian middle name too?" Miriam asked excitedly.

"NICOLE! Her middle name is Nicole! Her mom's maiden name is Nicolo. They were planning to name their third son Nicolo, but then they found out they were having a girl and Nicole wasn't Italian enough, so they named her Donnatella Nicole Moss," Josh said as he eagerly flew into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around Donna and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Joshua, I was asking Donna."

"Yeah I know, I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it. You're talking about my favorite topic," Josh smiled as he swayed them back and forth gently. The scene unfolding in front of her touched Miriam's heart. She watched as they both closed their eyes, enjoying the closeness. And she watched as her son breathed in the scent of Donna's hair. Miriam had never seen Josh look so happy and so relaxed.

"Oh Miriam, I brought an apple pie and biscotti, where would you like me to put it?"

"Did I hear something about an apple pie?" Noah's voice full of curiosity as he walked into the kitchen, Buster close behind with a bone in his mouth.

"Donna baked an apple pie for us and made Biscotti. Nicolo family recipes from the old country." Josh explained while he removed the baked goods from a bag on the kitchen island.

"Well why don't these two get settled and then we can eat pie?"

"Noah. You know the rules. No pie before dinner."

"Yes dear."

"Ahh, that sounds like a similar conversation we have Pumpkin Patch," Donna teased.

"Oh Pumpkin Patch?! What a cute nickname. Noah, you didn't tell me that Donna calls Joshua Pumpkin Patch! Oh, I can totally see it too. Noah come help me please?" Miriam grinned as she started to work on the stuffing.

"Yes dear."

"Okay so everybody gets why Donna calls me Pumpkin Patch but me? Donnnnnna."

"No whining Joshua," Miriam and Donna admonished together, before pausing to laugh.

"Donna what does he call you?"

"Blue Eyes," Josh couldn't hide his smile. His mom looked at him with a mixture of sweetness and a little bit of reproach. Josh got the message, "Sorry Mami. You asked Donna, but -"

"She's your favorite topic, we know," Miriam smiled as she squeezed Noah's arm lovingly and went back to working on the side dishes. She knew it was time to let Josh show Donna his childhood home, just the two of them. Noah knew it too, "Why don't you kids go get settled. Josh give Donna a little tour . . . no Buster, you gotta stay in here and help with dinner."

"Okay let's go look at embarrassing pictures of me as a kid and I can show you my room and the rest of the house," Josh said as he grabbed Donna's hand.

"Lead the way Pumpkin Patch."

They walked into the adjoining living room, Donna admired the space around her and Josh saw that the fireplace caught her eye. "We can have a fire later, Buster loves to lay in front of it."

"That sounds nice. I love how bright it is in here, and it's so warm and inviting. Oh Josh the big multi pane windows, the wood beams . . . and the quarter turn staircase." Josh knew that look on her face. The room inspired her.

"You wanna paint a picture of the living room, baby?"

"Yes! It's beautiful Josh. I would love to put these colors on a canvas," she continued to look around.

"We can make that happen, I know the people who own this place," Josh winked. He would do anything for her, especially something that inspired that look of awe on her beautiful face.

"My Dad's study is over there," Josh pointed to the french doors to the left of the staircase.

"Oh Josh, your dad's book collection is incredible!" Donna nearly squealed with excitement as she walked over to the wall of books, her hand lightly touching a few of them.

Josh knew that Donna would love this room too, he knew how much she loved to read. But something else caught her eye, a picture of Miriam, Noah, and a thirteen-year-old Josh. He had just been Bar Mitzvahed.

"We're gonna go to that same temple on Sunday to celebrate the start of Hanukkah. My mom tried to tame my wild hair that day, but ya know summer birthday, humidity . . ."

"You're adorable."

"I was a little nervous about messing up that day, I remember. God I was sweating, and my voice was starting to change . . ."

"I'm sure you did great," she whispered as she kissed his cheek. She saw another picture. One of him and Joanie.

"Oh Josh," Donna spoke softly. "She was a beautiful little girl and it looks like she was a wonderful big sister," Donna studied the photo. Josh and Joanie were in her bedroom, Josh was handing her a cookie, and Joanie was showing him how the train set worked.

"I was three and she was nine. I got that train for my birthday. Joanie was helping me get the train started."

"That's a nice memory Josh,"

"It is," he whispered, but also holding Donna's hand for a little emotional support.

"The guest room is over there," Josh pointed to the door directly across from his Dad's study on the other side of the living room as he held Donna's hand and led her up the stairs.

"Let me show you my room."

"Is that a line Joshua?" Donna asked as she bit her lip slightly.

"It is now Blue Eyes." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and led her to his bedroom, which was located directly above Noah's study.

Donna wouldn't need to see the rest of the house to know that Josh's room was her favorite. It even smelled like him. She loved all the little elements of his childhood and seeing the things that were important to Josh. The Mets Pennant above his bed, his baseball glove hanging off his bookcase, with a few trophies and a signed baseball next to it. Donna couldn't help but smile, the room was very well put together, but with a touch of "Josh-like" explosion around it. There were stacks of books thrown in the bookcase, with a large pile on the wood floor, just waiting to be put back in their spot on the shelf. Several notebooks and magazines lay in random spots, and Donna was almost certain that if she opened his closet, indiscriminate items would fall all over the floor. She continued to look around and noticed a framed issue of "The Crimson" sat on his dresser, Donna would have to ask him about that later. She walked over to his desk by the window and picked up a framed photo sitting next to an old, well-loved teddy bear.

"That's my Grandfather and I. I think I was ten or eleven?"

"Must be Grandpa Lyman, you and your dad both look like him," she smiled.

"It is. His name was Jacob Lyman. I called him Zayde. He was an incredible man. A very prominent jeweler in Warsaw. When things were getting unsafe in Poland, he sent my grandmother and my Dad, who was just over a year old, to the United States. The plan was for him to follow shortly after, but . . . well, Poland was annexed and instead of being on a boat to the United States, they put him on a train to Birkenau."

"Oh Josh," Donna's eyes were starting to well up with tears, but she held them back. This family, this amazing beautiful family had been through too much.

"He kept his head down, stayed strong and was liberated. He was reunited with my Grandmother and my Dad in March of 1945. He started his jewelry business in Manhattan, then sold it and retired early so that he could spend time with his family. I went to a ton of Mets games with him. I can't tell you how many times I had to hear about how mad he was that the Dodgers left town," Josh smiled at the memory.

Donna leaned into Josh and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you for telling me about him."

"Well thank you for being here with me on Thanksgiving, Donnatella," he wrapped his arms around her waist and took the opportunity to kiss her. It wasn't the kind of kiss he could give Donna in front of his parents. He started walking her back to his bed.

"I thought you were showing me your room," she laughed between his kisses.

"Oh, well this is part of the tour Donnatella,"

"This is part of the tour?" She asked playfully.

"Mmmhmm. So the next stop on the tour is right here," he said as he gently laid her down and started to kiss her neck.

"Then here . . ." he whispered as he lightly sucked on her earlobe.

"And here . . ." he lightly ran his hand up the inside of her dress.

"Josh,"

"Hmm?"

"I really like this tour."

"I'm glad." He gently tugged on her lip and slowly pressed his tongue against hers. "How do you feel about the extended tour?" He asked almost breathlessly.

"That sounds like it could be nice. Tell me about this tour."

"Or I could show you . . ." he whispered.

"Show me, Josh," her voice a little lower than usual.

He slowly started to move her dress up, exposing her skin and placing tiny kisses along her stomach, then hooking his thumbs into the top of her leggings and pulling on them lightly so that he could kiss her hip bone. Donna threaded her fingers through his curls. Before things could go any farther, they were interrupted by a demanding WOOF outside the door.

"I think someone feels left out."

"He can wait."

"WOOF" - Buster.

"Come on Buster, we're a little busy in here."

"Josh, he wants to see us."

"He can wait . . ."

"WOOF! WOOF!" - Buster.

"Ugh, why does the little brother always get his way?" Josh asked exasperated as he flopped back down on the bed. Donna opened the door to a very excited Buster who ran inside and made himself comfortable next to the bed as he chewed on Noah's wallet.

"Your Dad's probably looking for that," Donna giggled. Why don't you show me the rest of the house and we can save this tour for later," she said as she gave him a kiss that was laced with a promise of what's to come.

O0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Josh showed Donna the rest of the upstairs, the bathroom where she could keep her "girl things" as he called them, the extra bedroom that Miriam was using as a craft space, then his parents room. Donna loved the photos in the hallway. There was a cute one of Josh in his little league uniform holding a baseball bat, and another one of Josh and Joanie playing in the sand at the beach, and a silly photo of him grinning with a Mets hat on, his pointer fingers sticking in his little dimples. But the one that really got to Donna was the adorable picture of Noah carrying a toddler Josh, who was holding on to his Teddy Bear for dear life. Donna felt her stomach flutter and her heart race. There was something about this photo that she really loved.

They made their way back downstairs just in time for dinner. Josh led Donna to the dining room and pulled her chair out for her. "Miriam, Noah this looks incredible," Donna gazed at the spread on the table.

"Well thank you. We are so happy you are here with us to celebrate, Donna. In fact, why don't we all go around the table and say what we are thankful for. Josh would you please start," Noah asked as he pushed in Miriam's chair and took his seat.

Josh took Donna's hand, "I'm thankful that the three people I care most about in this world are sitting here with me, happy and healthy. I'm thankful for Buster, and I'm thankful that I found you, Donnatella."

"That was lovely Joshua. I think you said it all perfectly. And you know I always say this every year, but it is true. I'm thankful you're here Joshua. I miss your sister dearly, but I'm so thankful that fire didn't take my baby boy too," Miriam looked at her son with so much love and gratitude.

"Everyday son, we are thankful for that. And I agree with your mom, you said everything perfectly." Everyone was quiet for a moment, lost in their own thoughts. Donna ran her thumb over Josh's hand. She loved him so much, and the thought of him never making it out of that fire, the thought of never getting to know him made her heart ache with a kind of pain she had never felt. But the feeling of his warm hand and his lips on her cheek reminded her quickly that he was here, and that ache vanished.

"Your turn, Blue Eyes," he whispered.

"I'm thankful that I get to spend Thanksgiving with the Lyman family, who have been very kind to me. I'm thankful that both the Lyman and Moss families are happy and healthy. And I'm thankful I found you, Joshua. Happy Thanksgiving everyone."

"Happy Thanksgiving," everyone collectively said, even Buster sat up and started wagging his tail.

"So I thought I found you, Blue Eyes."

"No, no Pumpkin Patch, I found you."

"But I came into Cabbot's, ya see. And I went to your line."

"Yeah that's true, but I talked to you first."

"I was gonna order though, you just beat me to the talking part."

"I gave you free coffee."

"Another thing to be thankful for!" They both laughed, having a moment. Miriam and Noah watched from the otherside of the table, loving the interaction between the two.

"But we still haven't settled the debate of who found whom."

"I'm gonna win that debate Donna. I was captain of the debate team."

"Ahh, is that what that letter stands for on that nice green letter jacket I saw hanging on the back of your desk chair?"

"Indeed it is."

"News flash buddy, I'm going to give you the pout, which means that I'm going to win this debate."

"Not if I show you my dimples."

"Those Lyman dimples are pretty charming, right Miriam?"

"Noah has won more than his fair share of arguments with that tactic."

"What? No, I've won arguments because I'm a fantastic lawyer, dear."

"Noah."

"Mmm?

"You won because of the dimples." That caused a chorus of laughter at the table.

"Oh a Lyman brother on each side, I'm a pretty lucky girl," Donna said as Buster moved over to sit on the floor next to her.

"Joshua you weren't kidding, Buster here really doesn't leave her side. We heard him march upstairs and bark. Clearly he didn't like being left out of the tour," Noah mentioned as he started to carve the turkey.

Josh and Donna both tried to contain their laughter, both thinking back to the kind of "tour" that was going on when Buster announced himself. Josh was quick to add some misdirection, "Oh speaking of which, he brought your wallet upstairs with him," Josh reached in his back pocket and tossed Noah's wallet on the table.

"I thought I did a better job of hiding that this time . . ."

"Noah love, you know he always finds your wallet. Like I keep telling you, you need to start putting it on top of the refrigerator," Miriam shook her head as she took a sip of Sauvignon blanc. "Donna dear, would you like some?"

Josh paused for a moment, he hadn't told his parents the details of Donna's accident. That was her story to tell, when she was ready. So naturally, his mom had no idea about the role alcohol played. He didn't want Donna to feel like she had to say yes.

"I would love some Miriam, thank you," Donna smiled and held her glass out for Miriam to pour. She looked at Josh and put her hand on his leg, gently reassuring him. He understood what she was telling him, she was comfortable having wine with his parents.

"Joshua, wine, b'NEE?"

"Yes, please. b'NEE is Hebrew for son," Josh explained to Donna.

"That's sweet Josh."

"Oh I think Pumpkin Patch is sweet, I can't get over that one," Miriam added as she passed the stuffing to Noah.

"Speaking of pumpkins. Donna has some pretty great carving skills. I wish I took a picture of her pumpkin that she had at Cabbot's." Josh added as he took some turkey.

"It was okay . . ."

"Okay?! Donna that pumpkin was not just okay, I mean your carving looked just like Buster!" Josh started gesticulating wildly.

"Oh you carved a Buster pumpkin? I wish I could have seen it. Joshua calm down, you're going to knock something over if you keep waving your hands around like that."

"Sorry mom. Yes she carved a Buster pumpkin. It was incredible."

"Ha! Maybe we should hide my wallet in the pumpkin," Noah said as he took a bite of turkey and green bean casserole.

"Noah, pumpkins don't last that long. And I told you, put your wallet on top of the refrigerator."

"Yes dear."

"Well let's talk about your pumpkin, Josh," Donna smiled as she took a small sip of her Sauvignon blanc and rubbed Josh's arm.

"You carved a pumpkin?" Noah asked as he raised his eyebrows. Now Donna knew which parent passed that particular trait to Josh.

"Yeah it wasn't very good. Actually it was ummm, terrible."

"It wasn't terrible Josh. It was a nice piece of modern art. And you looked really cute carrying it in to Cabbot's."

"Donna the eyes were different shapes and the nose was crooked, it was atrocious."

"Like I said, modern art, and I don't care what it looked like. You took the time to get a pumpkin and carve it for me. I loved that pumpkin so much because it was from you Josh," She squeezed his hand to emphasize her point.

"Yeah?!"

"Yeah Josh."

And Josh couldn't help it when he grinned and leaned over to kiss her cheek. God, did he love her. Miriam and Noah just smiled at one another. They both inferred the same thing from that conversation, Donna basically just said that she loves their son.

"Lucky for me, I have the best art teacher who can teach me how to carve. She's already taught me how to draw Buster."

"And you're getting pretty good! So after Josh brought me the pumpkin, he got us some hot apple cider and we sat outside and passed out candy to trick or treaters. Although someone kept eating the reeses cups."

"I did not Donna." Everyone at the table stared at him, including Buster.

"K, fine. Yes, I ate a lot of the reeses cups."

O0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Thanksgiving dinner had of course, been delicious. Josh ate everything except the green bean casserole, as he was unwilling to try anything slathered in cream of mushroom soup. Miriam and Noah had asked Donna lots of questions and Donna did the same as the three got to know one another. Josh absolutely loved the relationship that was building between Donna and his parents. Noah and Donna went down their own rabbit hole about some tv show called "Unsolved Mysteries" and couldn't stop talking about John Grisham's book The Firm. Miriam and Josh just looked at one another stunned as Miriam silently mouthed, "Did you know he watched "Unsolved Mysteries"? Josh just shook his head no and shrugged his shoulders.

Miriam and Donna talked about recipes and art, and several cute stories about Josh as a little boy. Donna couldn't wait to see the picture of him throwing a tantrum in nothing but his tighty whities and his snow boots because Miriam wouldn't let him go outside like that. Josh of course, was as red as his crimson sweater.

After a little teamwork, the dinner table was cleared and dishes were done. Everyone made their way to the living room and Miriam grabbed the camera, eager to take some pictures of Josh and Donna in front of the fireplace. "Oh Donna, Joshua! These pictures are going to be gorgeous, your colors go together, here turn this way." Miriam was right, Josh's crimson sweater looked perfect with Donna's deep yellow dress and navy blue cardigan. After several photos as a couple, with Buster, and of the five of them with the help of a self-timer, Miriam and Noah went back into the kitchen while Josh and Donna got comfortable on the couch and started flipping through the photo album.

"Awww Josh, look at you with your puffy hair,"

"Ugh awkward years. That was freshman year at crew practice."

"Aww this one is cute! Who's the girl?" Donna pointed to a more recent picture of Josh and a cute girl with short, dark brown hair. Josh was wearing his Mets hat backwards and hamming it up in the picture, squeezing the girl in an overly animated way and the girl was making the kind of face where she looks annoyed, but deep down adores Josh.

"Ahh yes I was really annoying her that day. That's Mal and I. Remember we talked about Leo? Mallory is his daughter. She's a few years younger than me. I think that picture was taken a few summers ago at the yearly Debevoise & Plimpton picnic.

"Well it's a very cute picture, and I like how goofy you look and your backwards hat. Oh my God Josh, look at you with your rubber ducky!" Donna had turned the page to a naked baby Josh in the bathtub with bubbles and his rubber duck, showing his dimples as he smiled for the camera.

"Oh my God, Donna, not the naked tub picture. Turn the page before I die of embarrassment and before my mom sees us looking at it and tells us the whole story.."

"Oh, well, now I've seen you naked, it's about time," Donna said casually as she turned the page. Josh on the other hand, looked like he was about to fall over.

"Okay time to eat pie!" Donna said as she heard Miriam and Noah making their way from the kitchen to the living room.

"Donnnna! How do you expect me to eat pie and hold a proper conversation with THAT on my mind?!"

"Oh Donna, let me show you that picture of Joshua in his undies and snow boots! Miriam said a moment later as she sat on the other couch and took the album.

"Oh Donna this pie is delicious!" Noah said as he took his first bite.

"Oh my God, baby this is really good. I don't think I've ever had pie this good."

"Well thanks guys. It's that Nicolo recipe."

"The crust is flaky, and soft, and do I taste cinnamon and nutmeg in there?" Noah asked.

"That's impressive Noah. Yes, I always add some cinnamon and nutmeg to the pie crust. But that's just a few of the secrets."

"I'm going to figure out all the pie secrets young lady," Noah announced as he smiled and pointed his fork at Donna.

"Josh you are absolutely adorable in this photo, but boy do you look upset. You had to have known your mom wouldn't let you go outside like that," Donna said as Miriam handed her the album.

"Nope!" Josh answered happily as he ate his pie. "And ya know what, I'm not even going to get embarrassed about these photos, cause ya know, I'm eating pie," he took another large bite.

"Donna darling, he came out of the foyer with that outfit on, begging me to let him go outside and play in the snow. I told him he could play, but he had to put pants on and a coat, and a shirt, and a hat and gloves. He just broke down and cried."

"Awww poor little Pumpkin Patch," Donna gave him a little pout and then popped a piece of apple pie into her mouth.

"He was so upset that he wore himself out and fell asleep in that outfit."

"Oh Miriam, please tell me you have a picture of that!" The ladies laughed as Miriam gently squeezed Donna's hand with her own. The Lyman men just shook their heads and continued to eat their pie.

After dessert, Noah started a fire and Donna curled up next to Josh as Miriam flipped through the channels until they finally settled on "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving".

"I like Woodstock," Donna whispered to Josh.

"Oh the little bird?"

"MmmHmm."

"I like the kid who plays the piano. I wanted one of those toy pianos when I was little."

"Ahh Schroeder."

"Yeah Schroeder. But I think I liked him because Joanie liked him. She played piano too."

"Did she teach you?"

"A few notes. But I mostly just crawled under her piano bench and listened to her."

"That's very sweet Josh."

"That is sweet b"NEE. I think I have some pictures somewhere of the two of you at her piano."

"Mom, maybe later this weekend we can look for them? I want to show Donna."

"Of course Joshua. It's nice to look at those photos every once in a while," Miriam smiled as Noah grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Talking about Joanie and looking at old family photos helps keep her memory alive. Something the Lyman family promised to do. It wasn't lost on Noah and Miriam that Josh wanted to share every aspect of his life with Donna, and it was clear to both of them that their love was the real thing. The Lymans always knew their son was going to be the kind of man who didn't bring a lot of women home to meet them, or have a lot of girlfriends throughout the years, or even date a lot. But they did know, that when Joshua did find someone, that it would be someone very special. And here she was, running her hand through his curls as if it were the most natural thing in the world while he gently rubbed her fingers on her other hand.

O0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Josh had noticed Donna's eyes start to flutter towards the end of "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," she had had a very busy schedule for the past several weeks and now her body was finally getting a chance to relax for a few days. She needed sleep, he could tell. It was still pretty early, about 8:45, so he figured she could take a nap on the couch and then they could go up stairs in a few hours. Tomorrow would be the first day that she could really sleep in. He wondered when the last time it was that she was able to really do that. Josh heard Donna's steady breathing and felt the rise and fall of her chest, she was already asleep. He smiled at how comfortable she looked as he gently reached for the throw blanket.

"Oh Joshua let me get it," Miriam stood up and reached for the blanket, covering Donna with it. Buster decided it was time to get up from his spot in front of the fire and carefully got on the couch and made himself comfortable at Donna's feet as he laid his head on her leg.

"Buster, I think, could be Secret Service. He does a good job at being Donna's shadow," Noah noted as he looked over at the three of them on the couch.

"Oh he could definitely be Secret Service, Dad. Just as long as there are no leather wallets around to distract him."

"Or bones," Miriam added.

"Or pizza," Noah chimed in.

Buster of course, looked up when he heard all three trigger words: wallet, bones, pizza.

"Oh sorry pal, that wasn't nice of us," Noah apologized. "Miriam remind me to spell those words in front of him. Buster realizing that he wasn't getting a treat, put his head back down on Donna's leg.

"She's pretty tired, huh son?" Noah asked.

"She's exhausted. Working 40 hours a week and more than a full course load with her dual major," Josh explained while brushing Donna's hair back.

"Joshua, that's a lot."

"You're right mom, It is. It's too much," he said while looking at Donna resting peacefully.

"Does she have to work so much? Can she cut back?" Noah asked.

"I've tried to bring it up, but she just tells me that she needs to work."

Noah and Miriam looked at one another with worry. They didn't know what Donna had been through, but they knew it was something serious. When Josh called them about Donna's migraine, they thought maybe it was something she had been coping with for most of her life. But now, Noah realized that it was probably a side effect of what Donna had been through. He knew that she had an infection earlier this semester, which kept her out of work for several weeks. He had seen her hand tremor the night he brought Josh's winter coat to New Haven, and of course he sees how Buster is around her. This young woman had been through something terrible.

"Joshua, is Donna sick?" Noah could see the worry growing on Miriam's face. He hadn't told her about Donna's hand or her infection, he wasn't too sure it was his place to tell his wife. He felt like this needed to come from Donna or Josh. He had only told Miriam that he had a feeling Donna had been through something.

"Josh shook his head and quietly answered, "No, no Mami she isn't sick, but she is healing, and her doctors want her to rest as much as possible. Working the swing shift 40 hours a week isn't something her medical team is happy about, or that I'm happy about."

"But that needs to be Donna's decision to cut back."

"I know Dad. But she's always worked hard. Even before what happened to her, so I think continuing to work so much is a way for her to feel-"

"Normal?" Miriam jumped in.

"Yeah, I guess that's a good way to put it. Maybe it makes her feel like what happened doesn't affect her daily life."

"It's probably a way for her to feel independent too?" Miriam questioned.

"Yeah, that would make sense," Josh looked at Donna and ran his thumb over her forehead, it was a relaxation technique she had showed him. He didn't want to go into any more details. This was Donna's story to tell and it didn't feel right going any deeper into this conversation without her being present for it. Noah and Miriam picked up on it.

"Well we are so happy she is here Josh."

"Me too," Josh smiled. And he didn't mean he was just happy that she was here at his parents house, but that she was here in his life, that she was here in this world, that she survived. "I'm thankful that you're here Donnatella Nicole Moss," he whispered into her ear.

O0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

About an hour later, Donna's eyes fluttered open as she felt Josh's hand on her cheek. Within a moment, when the sleepiness wore off, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed, "Oh I'm so sorry, I fell asleep. That's so rude of me," Donna promptly sat up, alerting Buster.

"You don't need to be sorry Blue Eyes, it's perfectly okay to fall asleep. And look you're not the only one," Josh nodded his head over at Noah, his feet on the coffee table and his body slumped into the couch, fast asleep. "And although he may be awake now, Buster fell asleep too."

"Joshua's right dear, don't you worry one bit about falling asleep. We know you've had a busy semester. And even if you hadn't, it's perfectly fine to take a nap, especially after a Thanksgiving dinner," Miriam added cheerfully. Josh smiled at his mom appreciatively. He knew she wanted Donna to feel comfortable.

Noah stirred. "I'm blaming tryptophan for me. What do you say Mrs. Lyman, bedtime?" Noah asked as he yawned and stretched.

"Yes Mr. Lyman. Buster probably needs to go out one more time."

"We're gonna head upstairs too. Dad I can help you put the fire out." Josh kissed Donna's cheek as he got up, "I will meet you upstairs Blue Eyes."

O0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

By the time Noah and Josh had put the fire out and Josh had made his way upstairs and brushed his teeth, Donna was already on the verge of falling asleep. Quietly, he closed the door and turned the overhead light off, but not before checking to make sure the light on her nightstand was on, which it was. Buster got comfortable on the floor and Josh carefully climbed into bed and snuggled up against Donna, pulling his soft navy blue comforter and crimson-colored Harvard throw blanket over them.

"Josh?" Came Donna's sleep voice.

"Mmm?"

"I adore your parents."

"Oh Donnatella, that feeling is mutual. They are already so incredibly fond of you."

"Josh?"

"Mmm?"

"Thank you for showing me your home."

"You're welcome Blue Eyes . . . and thank you for coming with me. I want to share every part of my life with you."

She turned in his arms, facing him. "I want that too Josh. And I want to share every part of my life with you," she placed a gentle, intimate kiss on his lips. "Happy Thanksgiving, Joshua."

"Happy Thanksgiving Donnatella."

And within a few minutes they had fallen asleep in each other's arms under the warm blankets, in the house that Josh Lyman grew up in.


	27. Westport Part II

A/N: Hi there! Sorry for the delay on uploading the next chapter in the "Westport" arc. Life has been pretty busy and thrown me a few curve balls. I finished this chapter today and realized that it was over 6k words, so I've decided to chop the chapter in half(ish). Once I add a little bit more to the second half, I am hoping to upload that on Wednesday before I go out of town. The Westport arc was originally supposed to be three parts, but I am just having so much fun writing it, so it will probably be five parts :) Also, I know my chapters are pretty close together in regards to the timeline in this story, but as time goes on (especially when we get to the second year of law school for Josh/Donna's senior year of undergrad) the chapter timeline will start to be further (farther? I never use that verb correctly, lol) apart. Not by years or anything like that, but by several weeks or months. As always, thank you so much for reading my story! :)

\- Sea Dog

Donna woke up refreshed and warm as the light seeped in through Josh's nautical print curtains. Even though it was a cold November day in Connecticut, the sun was shining. The only thing missing was the now familiar feeling of Josh's arm wrapped around her. She stretched and smiled as she looked up and saw that Josh had hung one of her dream catchers on the bed, something he must have done this morning before she woke up. Donna turned over to discover that Josh wasn't in bed, but couldn't help but smile again as she saw a happy Buster laying next to her in his place. "Good morning Buster," she said as she began to rub his ears. "Did you sleep well?" Buster moved his head forward to lick her face. "Well, I will take that as a yes. Did your brother leave us a note?" Donna asked as she reached over to Josh's nightstand to grab the little blue piece of paper:

Good morning Blue Eyes,

Come down stairs whenever you are ready. No rush, sleep as much as you like.

xoxo Pumpkin Patch

P.S. We're eating pancakes this morning!

Donna looked at the clock, it was 9am and she was more than ready to start the day. Yesterday had been perfect. All of her fears and insecurities were left at the doorstep; Miriam and Noah had shown her nothing but kindness and had welcomed her into their home with open arms. Not once did she have to worry about feeling "good enough." Donna loved being here with Josh and his parents, and was happy that they had three more full days together. And if she was being honest with herself, it felt amazing to have an extended break from classes and work. Luckily, next semester's course load was going to be one class lighter.

After throwing on a sweatshirt and slippers, Donna and Buster made their way downstairs, immediately greeted by the aroma of pancakes, bacon, and coffee. Josh was busying himself in the kitchen, and there on the island, in two beautiful vases one blue and one red, stood six red roses and six pink roses.

"Good morning Blue Eyes, those are for you," Josh whispered as he came up behind Donna and wrapped his arms around her, gently kissing the back of her head and the incision on her neck. "Its been six months today," he continued to whisper.

"Joshua," his name caught in her throat as she turned in his arms and let him hold her tightly, the tears beginning to well in her eyes. She never expected this day to be acknowledged, and the fact that Josh had remembered meant more to her than she could put in words.

"I'm so happy you're here Donna," she could hear the emotion in his voice, and held on to him tighter.

"Me too Josh."

"I got you the red ones, and my parents got you the pink ones. They still don't know what happened, but I told them today was six months since it happened, and they wanted to get you flowers too."

"Josh, you and your parents didn't have to get me flowers, but it is awfully sweet and thoughtful of you all, and they are beautiful. Thank you," Donna said as she placed both of her hands on Josh's cheeks and kissed him deeply.

"You're welcome. And you're important, this day is important, and we wanted to remind you of that with flowers, and well pancakes too," he kissed her forehead and swayed them gently.

"Mmm pancakes. Did you make them?"

"I did indeed Donnatella, I did indeed."

0o0oo0o0o0oo0o0o

"Ya know Miriam, I think we need to make an appointment to take the Volvo in." Noah mentioned as he sat down to his plate of pancakes.

"What's going on with it hon?" Miriam asked as she took a sip of her coffee.

"It's making a weird noise," Noah shrugged.

"A weird noise?"

"Yeah ya know, it kind of squeals." Noah explained as he added some cream to his coffee.

"Noah dear, that's a pretty vague description."

"Well dear, I don't know how else to explain it."

"So you're just going to call the dealership and tell them it squeals?"

"That's the plan Miriam. That's what I always do."

"Well okay, I can give them a call after breakfast. Maybe if you're lucky, they can look at it today. You can drop it off and Joshua can follow you over there. No Buster, you already ate breakfast. No turkey bacon for you."

"Buster Lyman, down. You know better," Noah added.

Donna, sensing that the Lymans really didn't want to deal with a car issue, because honestly who wants to deal with that, jumped in. This family had already shown her so much kindness, and looking at their car was the least she could do, and she was more than happy to help. "Noah, does the squealing noise happen when you put your foot on the gas pedal?"

"Actually, it does young lady," he smiled at Donna as he took another bite of pancakes.

Josh turned and looked at Donna, a big grin on his face. He knew her parents owned an auto shop, but he had no idea she knew anything about fixing cars. She continued to surprise him everyday.

"Would you mind if I took a look Noah? Maybe after breakfast?"

"Oh Donna you don't have to do that. We can take it in," Miriam smiled from across the table.

"It's no trouble. I would love to help."

"WOOF!" - Buster

"Well Mom and Dad now you gotta let her, Buster has spoken!" Josh added as he slipped some bacon to Buster, who had lodged himself between Josh and Donna's chairs. He knew Donna wanted to help in any way she could and he knew his parents didn't want to say yes to her offer, because they knew she was healing and tired from the long semester. Everyone's heart was in the right place.

"Well okay. As long as you don't mind Donna."

"I would love to take a peek Noah."

"Joshua don't feed your little brother bacon!" Miriam admonished.

"Sorry Mami."

0o0oo0o0o0oo0o0o

After breakfast, everyone made their way to the garage. "Okay Josh, go ahead and open the garage door. We need to run the car, so we don't want the fumes building in here. And then I need you in the driver's seat Pumpkin Patch," Donna instructed as she popped the hood.

"Blue Eyes, there's something really wrong with it, it won't start. I can't even turn the key over." This caused a chuckle from both Miriam and Noah. Donna knew what the issue was right away.

"Josh?" Donna asked with mirth.

"Yes?"

"You don't know how to drive a manual transmission, do you?"

Noah and Miriam burst out laughing. "Donna I tried to teach him! But he was too frustrated trying to get out of first gear."

"DAD!"

"Well it's true Son."

Donna giggled, "Okay, we will deal with that later. Joshua Lyman, you best believe I am going to teach you how to drive stick. Now go ahead and push the clutch in, the one way on the left and turn the key."

"Ahhh there it is!" Josh announced as he heard the car come to life.

"Good job Pumpkin Patch. Now go ahead and rev the engine a little bit." Donna leaned forward and tried to get a good idea as to what kind of squealing noise the car was making. Buster hopped up next to her, his paws on the front end of the car, helping Donna inspect. She figured out the issue pretty quickly after glancing around under the hood. "Go ahead and turn the car off Josh. Foot on the clutch." He did as she instructed and joined his parents as Donna was finishing up her inspection. She poked around a little bit more, but paused to pull her hair back into a bun. Donna being in her element, hadn't even realized she had done it and that Noah and Miriam could now see her very dark purple scar. Josh noticed immediately, and saw his parents look at each other with worry. He knew they were putting the pieces together, that Donna's injuries were far worse than they imagined. Josh was grateful that his parents didn't say a word and continued to act normal, but he knew that they probably had more questions and concerns at this point. Both Noah and Miriam looked at Josh and a moment of understanding passed between the three of them: this weekend wasn't the time to ask about her scar.

"Well that was quick Donna!" Miriam said excitedly, shifting her attention. "Do you know what the issue is dear?"

"I do Miriam. Noah, you're going to need a new fan belt, the one that is powering the alternator. If you keep driving the car, you will eventually lose power and your lights will dim, and you'll be running on the battery until the car just kind of comes to a stop. See look here, you have a chuck of material missing from the belt, which happens over time with wear and tear. Think of it like a bike chain, and the engine is the pedal . . . your chain is about to come off. Now, we don't need to bring this to a dealer. It's actually an easy fix, I could do it in about an hour. We just need to go buy the fan belt at a store," Donna explained excitedly, happy to have been able to solve the problem.

"Wow, Donna I don't even know what to say. Thank you. Do you mind if you and Joshua go to the store to pick one up? I would go with him, but I have no idea what I would need to ask for. And you . . . well you're the expert young lady. Here Josh, take my credit card . . ." Noah reached into his back pocket and came up empty handed, his wallet was missing. "Where did my wallet go?" Everyone looked at Buster, who stood there wagging his tail. "I will check his usual hiding places," Noah grumbled.

"I told you to keep your wallet on top of the fridge Noah Lyman," Miriam chided.

"Yes dear."

"You're welcome Noah," Donna jumped in. "It's the least I can do. Plus, you will save a lot of money in labor. Auto shops are notorious for charging high dollar for labor, especially for a foreign car."

"Then, when we are done," Donna paused to look at Josh, "We're going to teach you

how to drive stick Pumpkin Patch. That is, if you're okay with us taking your car Noah."

"Absolutely, please do! You need to take it out for a test drive anyway."

Josh paused for a moment, thinking about the situation. Donna would be testing driving

the car and teaching him how to drive a manual transmission, but was she okay with driving? He knew she hadn't driven a car since before her accident. He wanted to check in with her, but decided to wait until they had a private moment. Noah and Miriam knew their son, and understood that he wanted to have a moment alone with Donna. He had a horrible poker face and concern was written all over him, "Buster, let's go outside!" Noah encouraged his youngest and Miriam suddenly remembered something she had "to do". Josh knew his parents as well as they knew him, they were giving him and Donna a few minutes alone.

"Miss Mechanic," he said smoothly as his arms wrapped around her. Donna leaned back into him. "You don't have to teach me how to drive stick, not now . . . and you don't have to drive the car to make sure it's running fine . . . I don't want you to feel pressured into driving."

"I don't Josh. But I appreciate you checking in."

'Donna, you haven't driven since before your accident and if you're not ready to dri-" "JOSHUA. Please listen to me," she began as she turned in his arms, her eyes locked on his. "Baby I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but I'm ready, I'm READY to drive. And driving doesn't scare me so much. Being a passenger is what makes me nervous . . . but not with you. I feel safe with you," she lovingly reassured him before continuing, "I just never drove after my accident because I had a broken foot and I was recovering, and then I moved to Connecticut and didn't have a car. But seeing the manual transmission in your dad's car, well that has me excited about driving. Plus, I want to teach you how to drive stick."

She smiled and Josh knew that she was in fact ready. "K, Blue Eyes . . . Then let's go for a drive later today and you can teach me," he smiled and kissed her lips.

0o0oo0o0o0oo0o0o

Donna had been able to buy the part and install it within about two hours. Josh loved watching her work on the car, and had greatly enjoyed it when she kindly informed the guy at the auto part store that she knew exactly what she was doing and what part she needed. Buster of course, had stood by her the whole time she worked on the car, and Donna had insisted that he join them on the trip to the auto part store. During the test drive, she had driven Noah's manual five speed Volvo like a pro and the squealing noise was completely gone.

Josh hadn't done half bad with learning how to drive a stick shift, and Donna was the ever-patient teacher. She started by putting her hand over his on the gear shift, bouncing back and forth between 1st through 5th. Once Josh had that down, he started shifting on his own at Donna's instruction. They spent some time in an empty parking lot, letting Josh get used to the clutch and actually driving.

"Not bad Pumpkin Patch," Donna smiled as she kissed his cheek and they switched seats so Donna could drive them home. But the minute they pulled into the his parents garage, Josh saw the realization cross Donna's face as she noticed her hair in the rearview mirror. Her hand immediately flew to the back of her head, skimming her scar. Josh knew at that moment, that Donna was about to panic. He saw the fear wash over her face, she knew that there was no way his parents could have missed it.

He quickly took his seat belt off and did the same for her as he held her as close as he could, "It's okay, it's okay Blue Eyes. They aren't going to say anything about it. They are waiting until you are ready. You don't have to say anything yet if you don't want to. My parents understand, Donna. It's okay . . . and you have NOTHING to feel self-conscious about baby, okay?" He felt her shake her head in agreement and heard her deep breaths as she began to calm down. He held her for a few minutes and rubbed her back until Donna wiped her eyes and smiled, letting him know that she was ready to go inside. But when she reached for her hair to let it down, he gently took her hand and told her that she should keep it up if she wanted to, that he didn't want her to feel like she had to cover her scar, "It's part of who you are Donnatella, and I think it's beautiful. It's a symbol of your strength."

"I appreciate that, I really do, but I'm just not there yet Josh, but I will get there."

"I know you will Donna."

They spent the next few minutes fervently kissing one another in the car, only to be interrupted by a very excited welcome committee of one: Buster Lyman. "Ya know Donna, every time we start something, he interrupts. What's a guy gotta do to get a few minutes of alone time to make out with his girlfriend?"

"Buy Buster a new wallet to chew on!" Donna laughed as she got out of the car and greeted the other Lyman brother.

0o0oo0o0o0oo0o0o

Donna and Miriam made their way around the market at a leisurely pace as they chatted and picked up groceries. Donna had met everyone and their brother it seemed, and for a relatively decent sized city, Westport in a way also felt like a small town. Donna loved the feeling of community, and everyone Miriam had introduced her to had been so warm and welcoming. How the two ladies ended up at the market was simple, Miriam had a pasta maker that they hardly ever used, and after seeing it, Donna suggested she make a traditional Italian dinner that evening. The Lymans of course, were excited and Donna just wanted to give back to them. They had made her feel like a part of their family since the moment she arrived.

As they picked up items both for the evening meal and for Hanukkah, Miriam bumped into a few friends from B'nai Israel as Donna carefully picked out shallots.

"Miriam! Miriam Lyman is that you!? Are you here all by yourself? Where's Noah?" Mitsy Edelman asked as she, Ann Katz, and Trudy Markowitz pulled their carts up.

"Shalom ladies. He's at home with Joshua," camped out on the couch watching college football."

"Oh you're here by yourself then shopping for the men. They better help with the dishes," Trudy laughed.

"Oh they will help, believe me, but I'm not here by myself," Miriam smiled and nodded over in Donna's direction.

"Oh my who is that beautiful, young shikse!? The ladies were all curious.

Miriam smiled. All of these women had tried and failed to set their daughters up with Josh at some point or another and she knew the minute that she said it, that they would go wild . . .

"That's Donnatella. Joshua's very lovely and very sweet girlfriend . . ." And then Miriam leaned in and whispered with a smile, "Joshua says she's his Bashert." And it was at that moment that the three women all turned into giant "awwing" messes, because the idea of finding one's Bashert really is just one of the sweetest things.

"Oh Miriam, I was hoping we could try again to set my Rebecca up with your Joshua, but if he's found his Bashert then well never mind. I hear Joel Schuler is on the market again, maybe he would like a date with my Rebecca?"

"Oh they would look so nice together Mitsy!" Ann added.

"Oh Miriam the grand babies! Oh with Donnatella's lovely hair color and Joshua's dimples and curls . . . oh my you will be called "Bubbe" before you know it!" Trudy's eyes lit up. "Oh do you think she will convert?" Mitsy wondered.

"Yes Miriam, will they raise the children Jewish? Oh the baby will need a Mikvah . . ." Ann added.

Miriam deflected, "Oy vey! Any one of you three could be the biggest yente in the congregation you know!" Miriam laughed, but deep down, the idea of Josh and Donna having a baby and making her and Noah grandparents absolutely thrilled her. Ideally, she would want Joshua to finish Law School and Donna to finish undergrad first, but if it happened before then, well that would be just lovely too.

"Well, we will see you on Sunday at Temple for the first night of Hanukkah. Oh will this be Donnatella's first time at a service?!"

"I believe so . . . so don't scare her away. I want her to come back," Miriam laughed as she waved goodbye and headed back to join Donna.

0o0oo0o0o0oo0o0o

The kitchen was permeating with the delicious aroma of homemade spaghetti sauce as Donna and Miriam cooked, drank a little wine, and laughed a whole lot. Josh and Noah could hear them from the living room, and both delighted in the bond that had formed so quickly between the women.

"Do you think they're talking about us?"

"Probably," Josh laughed as he took a sip of soda.

"Yeah you're probably right."

"Noah, I would love to show Donna that photo of us in Italy, can you help me grab it from the upstairs closet? It's in that album with the flowers on it," Miriam asked as she walked into the living room and began to make her way upstairs. Josh took the opportunity to check on Donna and to see if she had anything ready for him to "taste-test".

As he walked into the kitchen, he paused for a moment to watch. She had on a little apron and looked so relaxed as she began to feed the dough through the pasta machine. He loved the way she slightly tucked in her lower lip as she concentrated. He would have loved to have watched more, but he saw her hand shake slightly, and without thinking he walked up behind her and put his hands over hers, "Teamwork," he whispered in her ear as they fed the dough through the machine together.

"Hey you're pretty good at this Pumpkin Patch."

"I have skills Donnatella, secret skills . . . It smells amazing in here, is that the sauce?"

"Sure is."

"It's not chunky right?"

"No it's not chunky sauce. I know you don't like tomatoes."

"K, good," he chuckled as he leaned forward and kissed her gently, their hands still guiding the pasta dough.

(Click! Click!) "Oh now that's just going to be the sweetest photo!" Miriam cooed as she continued to snap the camera. Donna and Josh both blushed. That kiss wasn't meant to be seen by anyone, not that it was lewd or inappropriate, but they certainly didn't expect to have an audience.

"Mom!"

"Oh Joshua calm down."

"Miriam, do you want to try feeding the pasta through? Josh can chop veggies for the salad."

"Josh can what?" He asked in surprise.

"You heard me Pumpkin Patch."

"But Donna, I already helped with the pasta."

"Well, we're making you stay. There's plenty of tasks.

"You too Noah! Don't try and sneak back into the living room," Miriam added as she saw Noah stealthily try and walk out of the kitchen, hoping to go unnoticed.

"Yes dear."

"Now Donna, your mother taught you how to make all these Italian dishes?"

"She did Miriam, everything except the sauce. That was Grandpa Anthony," Donna explained fondly as she added a little more oregano.

"Aww that's lovely dear. Did you see your grandparents a lot?"  
"Yes!" Donna turned her head and smiled. "They were wonderful people and Grandpa Anthony and Grandma Giovanna owned a pizza place in Chicago, it was called Nicolo's. And let me tell you, when they visited, we only spoke Italian. Anytime my brothers or I slipped into English, we were denied dessert. So, naturally, we tried to make sure we stuck to their rules," Donna laughed. "Although, Grandpa Anthony would always make sure I got an extra cannoli."

"Someone was the favorite," Josh added.

"He couldn't resist his daughter's pout or his granddaughter's."

"I can understand that!" Josh laughed.

"My poor dad though, he can't speak a word of Italian. So Lorenzo usually ended up being the go-between for conversations."

"Oh Donna, I would love to hear you speak Italian! Do you remember any of it?"

"She's fluent mom, and it sounds incredi- oh sorry you were asking Donna."

"Well Joshua, I do recall someone saying something rather lovely to me in Hebrew one night at Cabbot's."

"Oh! Joshua has a lovely voice. His cantillation is always beautiful when he reads from the Torah or recites a prayer. Maybe we can get him to lead the prayer when we light the Menorah," Miriam winked.

"No, no. I'm not that good at it,"

"Oh Joshua nonsense! I'm sure Donna would love to hear you."

"I would," Donna smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah Josh, of course. Your religion is a big part of you. I would love to hear you recite your prayer.

"Ahh-kay, I'll do it for you Blue Eyes," he smiled and kissed her cheek. "But you have to say some stuff in Italian for us."

"Ahh so a compromise?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Mmmhmm."

"K, deal. No go on and chop some veggies for the salad."

"You too Noah," Miriam added. "Or else no dessert."

"Yes dear!"

And the four of them shared stories and laughs as they continued to prepare a special dinner that would quickly become a Lyman family tradition.


	28. Westport Part III

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for the delay. Life got busy and then I had a spark of inspiration and started working on another story that I plan to post in the near-ish future. The ending of this chapter is a little steamy, so don't read it if you're under the age of 18.

Have a great Sunday!

Donna's dinner had been nothing short of delicious and the Lyman family all agreed that they had never had Italian food that tasted this good. Josh of course, raved about the lasagna she had made for him a few months ago.

"Yes! Oh I remember Noah and Joshua telling me about that. Donnatella thank you so much for making sure he had enough food in his apartment," Miriam expressed her thanks as she reached across the table and squeezed Donna's hand. Donna's caring nature, especially where Josh was concerned, was one of the things that both Miriam and Noah loved most about her.

"Oh Miriam no need to thank me. I'm always happy to make sure Josh has plenty of food in his apartment. Cooking is one less thing he has to think about so he can focus on school and maximizing his study time."

"Thank you Blue Eyes," Josh smiled. "And tomorrow, Donna is going to show me how to meal plan and prep, so we're gonna try and do that every Sunday."

"That sounds like a great idea son."

"And, we're even going to meal plan for Buster!" Donna added.

"Oh he'll love that. Maybe he will lay off my wallet from now on," Noah gave a hearty dimpled smile as he took a sip of his wine.

Noah and Miriam watched as Josh and Donna got lost in their own conversation about the next day's events. They loved seeing how enthusiastic Josh was about their plans, asking all kinds of questions that ranged from "What time are we going to the grocery store?" to "What movie should we watch tomorrow night?" Noah also felt Miriam tenderly grab his hand when they watched Josh lightly stroke Donna's cheek and softly asked her if she felt tired or had a headache, to which she responded with a smile and answered, "No, I feel great Josh. Thank you for checking in," and kissed his cheek.

"I just love how they take care of each other Noah," Miriam whispered.

"Me too love, and it was clear since the day I met Donna, that they were already taking care of each other. She is everything we have ever wanted for Josh."

About a half hour later and to Noah and Josh's delight, and probably Buster's too, Miriam and Donna brought out warmed apple pie and old fashioned vanilla ice cream. "Oh God, this pie is so good. I can't say it enough. Miriam, did you and Donna get this ice cream at the market? I can tell it's the good stuff . . ."

"Noah dear, slow down. I don't want you to choke."

"I'm pacing myself dear."

"Yes, we got it at the market." Miriam took a bite of the warm pie and a little bit of ice cream as she waited a moment before giving her son a hard time. "Speaking of the market, Joshua, you know that Donnatella has a fan club wherever she goes?"

Noah chuckled and Josh dropped his fork mid bite. Donna tried her best to suppress her laughter at his reaction.

"Come again, Mom? She has a what?"

"A fan club Joshua," Miriam repeated nonchalantly. She was over at the deli getting some fresh mozzarella and the two gentlemen behind the counter were clearly smitten with her."

"Smitten?"

"Yes Joshua, smitten."

"Bunch a' gomers," Josh muttered.

"Well Miriam, the guy at the flower stand called you pretty," Donna added as she and Miriam winked at one another.

"WHAT?" Now it was Noah's turn to drop his fork.

"Oh he probably says that to all the ladies," Miriam chortled.

"Gomer," Noah huffed and puffed as he dug into his apple pie.

"See Donna, like father like son!" The ladies both laughed as Noah and Josh just shook their heads.

0o0oo0o0o0oo0o0o

As the sun was setting, Josh brought Donna outside to sit on the porch swing. They sat snuggled up together, both with a mug of hot chocolate and a warm throw blanket. Buster of course, made himself comfortable on the ground in front of the swing on his dog bed. "You look cute in my letter jacket," Josh commented between sips of hot chocolate.

"Thanks Pumpkin Patch, maybe you can wear mine when we go to Wisconsin," she winked.

"Oh, you have one too? What sport?" Josh was intrigued.

"Nope not a sport. Band."

"Band?!" He turned to look at her as he discovered this new bit of information.

"Well, yours isn't for a sport either Mr. Captain of the Debate team."

"Ah true, but I have pins for both crew and baseball on the letter," Josh said as he lightly touched the felt adorned with two gold pins. "Now tell me about this band jacket."

"I was in marching band and stage band for four years," Donna was being just a little coy. She knew he wanted to know exactly what instrument she played, but she was going to make him work for it.

"Yeah? And ..."

"And what Pumpkin Patch?"

"Well what didya' play?!" And he was so excited she just couldn't tease him any more.

Donna laughed. "Calm down, you startled Buster ... The flute Josh, I played the flute." She smiled as she drank her cocoa, letting that detail sink in for him.

"My God, I bet you were adorable in your band uniform with that hat-thingy. I wanna' see pictures."

"I'm sure my mom has them somewhere."

"It's the first thing I wanna' see when we go to Wisconsin, Donnatella."

"Well I'm sure my mom would love to show you any and all pictures that you request."

"Well I'm gonna have to start making a list then. Speaking of your mom," Josh paused as he kissed her temple, "How did she react to the news of you staying in Connecticut for the holidays?"

"She was disappointed. They wanted me to come home for Christmas, the whole winter break really. But I don't want to go back, I'm not ready yet, Josh. And . . . and I just want to spend time with you."

"I know baby, me too. We're gonna have a lot of fun over break, c'mere Blue Eyes." Josh put his mug down and wrapped Donna in his arms. "It's okay to not feel ready to go home. It's perfectly normal." And it was at that moment, that Donna truly realized that Wisconsin wasn't home anymore, Connecticut was. And more specifically, Josh was. He pulled back and brushed a few tendrils behind her ear, "I'm glad we had an early dinner so that we could enjoy the sunset together," he gave her a soft kiss as his hands found her cheeks. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time. That night you came into Cabbot's with the lasagna, I thought about how nice it would be to spend time together at my parents house, and how much I wanted to kiss you on this porch swing as the sun was setting . . . and here we are." He gave her a deep, loving dimpled smile as he leaned forward and kissed her again, more deeply this time. "I love kissing you," he whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers. Josh was overwhelmed by the feelings he had for her. The way her smile made his breath catch in his throat, the way his heart fluttered when their lips connected, the way a warm current cascaded through his body when their hands touched, or when he held her. He was so deeply in love with Donna, and he couldn't wait to tell her.

"I love when you kiss me Josh . . ." She smiled a little breathlessly before continuing, somehow finding the fine line between passion and keeping it appropriate for the front porch.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can."

"Do you remember that night at Cabbot's when Mark asked you out . . ."

"Yes, I remember, go on," Donna smiled, wondering where he was going with his question.

"Well I was wondering, after you said no, what was it that Cody whispered in your ear?" And the look on his face reminded Donna of a kid at Christmas, he really, really wanted to know, and it was so endearing. Donna had remembered exactly what Cody had whispered, "Cody is pretty observant like Oscar. And after I said no to Mark he whispered, "I bet if Josh had asked you out, you would have said yes, Donna."

"Yeah?! He asked you that?!" Josh couldn't hide his excitement.

"MmmHmm. And ya know what?"

"What?" He gave her his dimples.

"He was right. I would have said yes Josh," she smiled as she leaned in to kiss him again.

"I should have asked you sooner, and then ya know we could have been getting to all the kissing sooner . . ."

"It's okay Pumpkin Patch, we're doing a good job making up for lost time . . ."

"Do you wanna go up stairs? And ya know, continue the extended tour?" Josh asked as he gently rubbed Donna's cheeks with his thumbs.

"Take me upstairs Josh . . ." she whispered.

As he grabbed Donna's hand and helped her off the porch swing, Josh froze as he heard a very familiar voice coming from the front lawn, heading in their direction.

"JOSHUA! JOSHUA LYMAN is THAT you!? Oh my it is you! I thought I saw you drive over here yesterday! Come here, let me give you a hug!"

Donna felt Josh's body stiffen, "Hello Mrs. Schramm. Nice to see you again . . . Ugh!" Josh said in surprise as Mrs. Schramm wrapped him in an unbelievably tight hug to where he could barely move let alone breathe.

"Oh and who is this!? She is gorgeous! Oh Joshua is she your girlfriend!? Oh honey are you Jewish? Ahh no matter, you can always convert before the wedding! Oh you're adorable. Look at your pretty skin and long blond hair! We need to get some meat on your bones though. She could use a little nosh . . . That's Yiddish dear!" Mrs Schramm called out to Donna before continuing, "I know! I will bring some lokshen kugel over! Joshua you know which one I am talking about!" Mr. Schramm clapped her hands in excitement as she let go of Josh, but not before pinching his cheeks, "Ohhhh those dimples! Bring your girlfriend over here so I can give her a hug and properly introduce myself." Josh of course, was now on high alert. He didn't want to offend Mrs. Schramm, but Donna's health was far more important. There was no way he was letting her hug Donna as tightly as he knew she would. He was starting to panic, thinking about her lungs, and the ribs she had broken in the accident. Buster must have sensed it too, as he had stepped in front of Donna to protect her, tail wagging and tongue hanging out.

"Oh Mrs. Schramm, Donna is just getting over a cold and strep throat."

"Yes," Donna added sweetly. "Normally I would love to give you a hug Mrs. Schramm, but I don't want you to get sick. I'm Donna, nice to meet you."

"Oh you're so sweet to think of me. I hope you feel better darling. I'm Mrs. Schramm. It's lovely to meet you."

"Thank you ma'am. I am feeling much better," Donna smiled and waved.

"Oh Joshua she's lovely. Now where are your parents. I would just love to say hello."

Josh was cut off by the sound of the front door opening, "Oh hello Esther," came Noah's voice. Josh recognized the fake enthusiasm.

"Noah! Why didn't you tell me Joshua was home with his girlfriend?! You all could have come over for dinner. I'm sure Miriam would agree."

"Oh we will have to plan something at some point Esther. When we have free time. Noah and I just wanted the kids to have some time at home to relax before finals," Miriam mentioned as she stepped onto the porch.

"Oh well yes indeed! Oh I know! How about we all celebrate Hanukkah together on Sunday? You all can come over and celebrate with Arthur and I!"

"Well thank you for the invite," Noah jumped in. "That is very kind. But we actually have plans already. Another time though, we will all have dinner."

"Well okay Noah. You just tell me when and where and Arthur and I will be ready. Oh! I can make my famous gefilte fish recipe!"

"Oh sounds lovely," Noah said as he pushed himself to bite his tongue. He and Josh shared a common hatred of gefilte fish, and Esther's always seemed to be the most repulsive, and he was pretty sure she was missing some key ingredient. Josh just looked at his dad and made a face.

"Bye bye now!" Mrs. Schramm said as she walked towards her house.

"Ahh young lady, I see that you met our lovely neighbor Mrs. Esther Schramm," Noah laughed as he put his hand on Donna's shoulder. "Fair warning Donnatella, she will probably show up at least two more times during your stay this weekend," Noah chuckled.

"Donna sweetheart, she will talk and talk and talk, you won't get a word in. Just smile and nod your head. That's what we all do!" Everyone had a good laugh at that. "Joshua gets it the worst though, she goes right for his dimples."

Donna placed a gentle kiss on each dimple, "Well hopefully she doesn't leave any bruises on your adorable face Pumpkin Patch."

"If she does, will you always kiss it better?" He whispered.

"Always."

(Click! Click!) "Oh now that's a sweet picture. Noah we need to get multiple copies!"

"Mami, more pictures!? Donna's gonna think we're weird."

"Oh Josh it's a mom thing. My mom's going to do the same thing."

"Yes, Donna's right, it's a mom thing. Now go sit over on the porch railing. We have a little bit of the sunset left. Okay now Donna can you stand in front of Joshua? Perfect, now Joshua be careful sitting on that railing. I don't want you to fall. Okay Donna tilt your head back and to the side, okay perfect, now Josh kiss Donna. (Click! Click!) Oh that is going to come out nice, especially with the sunset," Miriam added as she clicked away.

"OH WHAT A CUTE PICTURE! I WOULD LOVE A COPY!"

"Ah God, she's watching us . . ." Noah shook his head. Miriam just looked over at Mrs. Schramm, who was yelling from her front porch and waving from across the street. Miriam smiled and waved back.

"Okay let's go inside, the mood is gone," Josh chuckled.

"Careful getting down Joshua. Donnatella, did you know that Joshua wanted to be a ballerina when he was little?"

"MOM!" Josh turned three shades of red.

"Well it's true b'NEE"

"He has two left feet though," Noah added with a smile.

"Oh Pumpkin Patch, how could you be a ballerina with two left feet?" Donna pouted.

"What did you want to be when you were little Blue Eyes?"

"A farmer," she smiled.

"A dairy farmer, Donnatella?" He started to bounce on his feet.

"Yes Josh, a dairy farmer. You know how much I love cows . . . Hold the Wisconsin cheese jokes, Mister."

"Farmer Donna. You would look adorable in a plaid shirt, overalls, and a farmer hat. And I've seen you in overalls, so I know," Josh said as he kissed Donna's cheek.

"Ahh, well you would look good in tights."

"Sounds like you two have next year's Halloween costumes picked out! And Buster can go as a cow and we can get a cow bell for his collar!" Everyone laughed at Noah's idea as they walked into the house for the evening now that the sun had set in Westport.

After watching some college football and enjoying a nice fire, Josh and Donna excused themselves for the evening and made their way up to his room. Both of them were more than ready to continue with "the extended tour." Josh quietly shut the door and they immediately reached for one another, quickly making their way to his bed. Within seconds Josh's hand was wandering up Donna's shirt to rest on her breast, gently pushing down on her soft nipple with his thumb, the way he knew she liked. He heard her slight moan, which did things to his body and then he felt her arch against him. He was still careful not to put all his weight on top of her, cognizant of the fact that maybe her lungs still needed to get stronger. He gently grabbed her hips and rolled them so she was on top. Josh felt himself growing dizzy with desire as she started to grind against him, something new they had been doing. He felt his body fall into rhythm with hers. A few moments later, Donna gently fell to the side and whispered in his ear, "Joshua, you can't be comfortable right now in those jeans . . ."

"It's okay. I'm enjoying this." He had misunderstood her intentions.

"Josh, that's not what I was getting at," her sultry voice sending vibrations through his body as she popped the button and carefully started to unzip his pants. He instinctively lifted himself off the bed so that she could pull his jeans off, but what surprised him was when she began to lightly tug on his boxer shorts. And suddenly, he felt himself spring out as he helped her pull them off. It was the first time she saw him . . . touched him. And Josh immediately had trouble controlling himself as she gently ran her fingers over him, getting to know this part of his body.

"Relax Josh, it's okay to let your body react," she whispered as she started to kiss him and move her hand up and down his hard length.

"Oh my God, Donna . . ." was all Josh could say as he let the incredible feeling of Donna's hand on him take over his body.

And as much as he enjoyed it, Josh lovingly moved her hand away several minutes later and stroked her cheek, quietly explaining that he didn't want to "ya know" for the first time this way, and that he wanted it to happen when they made love for the first time. Donna smiled and nodded in agreement as they snuggled under his comforter and said good night before letting sleep take over.


	29. Westport Part IV (A Date In The Park)

A/N: Hi everyone! I'm sorry it took me so long to publish a new chapter. So this one is pretty long. I couldn't help it . . . I really didn't want to cut anything out and these two are so soft and so sweet and they have been waiting patiently for their date in the park, so yeah I added lots of details, lol. I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

P.S. The ending is steamy. Please don't read this unless you are at least 18 years old.

"I'll be right back Blue Eyes, don't go anywhere," Josh smiled as he nuzzled Donna's ear. He had felt her stir and saw her eyes flutter open in a sleepy haze as he was getting out of bed. Ten minutes later, he returned with bagels, coffee, and orange juice; Buster had already taken his side of the bed. Josh placed the tray on his nightstand and was greeted with a kiss by a now fully awake Donna.

"Mmm I thought I smelled coffee," she smiled as she gave Josh her familiar head tilt.

"Mmmhmm, and of course a sesame bagel with vegetable cream cheese."

"Veggie cream cheese? You're earning points today Pumpkin Patch," Donna laughed as she took her first sip. Josh thought it was adorable how she would push her hair back and wrap both hands around the warm mug as she inhaled the scent of french vanilla coffee. Every morning she did that and every morning it made him smile.

"Oh and by the way . . ." Donna trailed off with a grin as she put her coffee down and held up two fingers.

"Peace sign?" Josh asked in amusement. Donna just shook her head and held two different fingers up.

"Okay then, ummm hang ten?" His eyebrows raised in curiosity. Donna playfully rolled her eyes and told him that he needed his coffee, to which he replied, "Well what's next Blue Eyes, are you gonna give me the Star Trek live long and prosper hand gesture?" Josh laughed as he made the sign with his hand.

"Joshua, Josh, Josh. I'm holding up two fingers . . . two . . ."

"Two . . ." Josh echoed until his brain caught up a moment later. "TWO! Donna that's amazing! Your headaches, they're getting better!" He could hardly contain his excitement as he leaned over to wrap her in a hug, waking Buster in the process, causing an unhappy grunt from the yellow lab.

"Donna, this is . . . this is . . . incredible! This is the best news I could wake up to . . . A two on the headache scale! This is a BIG DEAL!" Knowing that she was feeling better, that her body was healing, that she felt good . . . it meant everything to him. The past few days of relaxation and plenty of sleep more than likely played a part; her body was finally getting the rest it so desperately needed. Winter break would be a wonderful opportunity for an extended period of rest: no classes and reduced hours at Cabbot's. Hopefully a lighter work schedule could continue second semester, Josh thought.

"Oh I think you upset Buster, he was pretty comfy," Donna joked as she wrapped her arms tightly around Josh. She couldn't believe how great she was feeling, so great that she almost felt like she could go without her pain medication, but decided she would take it anyway, just in case.

"Well he took my spot."

"Well, you left the bed."

"Yeah but it doesn't mean he gets to hop up and take my place . . ."

"You tell him that Joshua, I mean didn't you tell me that this is your room and his room?"

"Yeah, but that's because my parents decided to move his dog bed up here because he likes the red rug by the bed."

"Well, then that means he has rights to the bed," Donna shrugged as she took her medication with a glass of orange juice.

"What? Where's the logic in that?"

"Well it's his room too and therefore his bed."

"Donnnnnna. It was my room first."

"Well, now it's your room and Buster's," Donna chuckled as she leaned over and rubbed Josh's leg.

"Well fine. Then we need to upgrade to a king size bed."

"See, there's always a solution, isn't there Buster? Donna laughed as she leaned over and hugged her favorite yellow lab.

"Just as long as I get to sleep next to you. Buster can have his own spot. Non-negotiable," Josh said matter of factly.

"Deal . . . So Mr. Lyman," Donna began as she crawled into Josh's lap, gently running her hands through his curls, "When do we get our day started? I'm excited for our park date," her smile radiating enthusiasm as she continued to lovingly push Josh's hair back. The park date was finally here, and both of them were thrilled to finally have this special day that had been planned for so long.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Getting the day started happened about 45 minutes later. Josh was just opening Donna's door when he heard the pitter patter of chunky dog paws coming towards them. Behold, with his leash in his mouth and tail wagging briskly, Buster Lyman was ready to get in the car.

"No Buster, you gotta stay here." Buster just continued to stare, tail still wagging.

"No buddy, next time, k?"

"Josh, Josh look at him. He really wants to go with us. Look he even carried his own leash. Oh he's just so cute."

"But Donna, I really wanna take you on our park date, ya know some alone time, without the little brother tagging along as a third wheel."

"Josh?" And then came the pout, and he couldn't say no, he was rendered defenseless.

"Donnnnna. You know I can't say no to the pout."

"I know," Donna answered with a coy smile as she got into the passenger seat.

"I need to figure out pout defense!" Josh sighed in fake exasperation as he opened the back door, "C'mon Buster, get in . . . And no slobbering pal."

"Okay Blue Eyes, let's do this! First stop, the local watering hole so we can get round two of coffee, or hot apple cider . . . whatever your heart desires. And of course, an item from the carb convention!" Josh announced as he started the car.

"Well it is date day in the park, so I guess an item from the carb convention on top of our bagels from breakfast is okay. Looks like I'm going to have two Lyman brothers all sugared up. You two will be running around the park to burn it off."

"It's worth it Donnatella if I get a muffin, a donut, or a croissant . . . or one of each."

"One."

"Of each?" Josh asked hopefully.

"No, just one."

"Fine. I get the muffin, you get the croissant, Buster gets the donut. See what I did there, Donnatella?" His dimpled grin coming out.

"Oh I see what you did. You want a bite of each, and then you brought the dimples out."

"You can't say no to dimples," Josh whispered as he leaned over and gave Donna a long, loving kiss, only to be interrupted by a slobbery dog tongue licking the sides of their faces.

"Gah! Buster. Come on pal. Ya see Donna, third wheel."

"Awww he's just saying thank you for letting him tag along Josh," Donna laughed as she kissed Buster's snout.

"See? Now he's getting the kisses instead of me. Not fair Donna. Not fair."

Josh's response made Donna chuckle, "Come on Pumpkin Patch, let's get you to the carb convention, it will make you feel better."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The Westport Coffee House was quaint with ample sunlight radiating through the large windows, the wide floor boards added charm as they creaked from just the slightest of pressure, and the hint of pine mixed with fresh ground beans permeated through the small coffee shop.

What are you in the mood for Blue Eyes?" Josh asked as he pressed his lips to the back of Donna's head, wrapping his arms around her waist. Donna naturally leaned back against Josh, "I was pretty set on apple cider, but now that I'm looking at the menu, I think I'm kind of in the mood for a Cinnamon Dolce Latte. I haven't had one of those in ages and it feels holiday-e, ya know?"

"Ahh someone's getting in the holiday spirit. That sounds pretty good, maybe I'll change my order to something holiday-e too."

"Hey anything after Thanksgiving is fair game for holiday-e coffee drinks. Maybe that chocolate croissant too? The one in the front looks the most chocolatey."

"Ahh checking out the carb convention already. Buster will like that cider donut."

"Buster's going to have the whole donut? Because remember, you get your one carb convention item and a bite of the other two," Donna teased.

"Well duh he's eating the whole donut minus my bite. He's a Lyman, so he loves carbs."

"Well don't I get a bite too? If you get to try everything, then so do I. I'm even having a sip of your drink."

"You present a good case. Yes I will share with you ... And you know I can't resist that pout of yours," Josh whispered in Donna's ear as he lightly squeezed her sides before approaching the register.

"Hi ummm we're gonna have a large Cinnamon Dolce Latte and a White Chocolate Mocha with a shot of peppermint."

"Make that two shots of peppermint," Donna piped up with an all knowing grin.

"Two shots . .. two?" Josh's eyebrows went up in question.

"Yeah if I'm getting sips, I want two shots."

"Okay fine, but I get two bites, two very BIG bites, of your croissant Donnatella."

"Deal Joshua."

"Okay so make that two shots in the White Chocolate Mocha, one blueberry muffin, one cider donut, a Puppuccino, and a chocolate croissant. Umm can you please grab the one in the front? Sources tell me that's the most chocolatey croissant of the bunch. Oh and this banana too," Josh said as he quickly kissed Donna's cheek and whispered, "I know someone likes fruit and would like their boyfriend to try and eat better."

"Okay just for that, you have to let me buy all this."

"Nope."

"Ronnie don't take his money," Donna said seriously as she looked at the young cashier." And before Josh knew what was happening, Donna had given the cashier a twenty dollar bill.

"Fine, but come Monday night, you will see a nice twenty dollar bill in your tip jar."

"I will share it with Cody."

"What am I gonna do with you, Blue Eyes?"

"You're going to share your drink and muffin with me. That's what you're gonna do," she smiled and he was completely disarmed.

"Ah-kay."

"Thank you Ronnie," Donna said as she waved and grabbed Josh's hand as they wandered over with their goodies to wait for their drink order.

About two minutes later, Josh and Donna had just made it out the door when a young woman from inside the coffee shop came barreling out after them.

"Ummm excuse me! Excuse me, really cute couple in the coffee shop, excuse me! Can I ask you a question?" The request had the two of them turning around and walking back towards the young woman with pixie cut blond hair, a leather jacket, and tattered plaid shirt wrapped around her waist.

"Hi umm my name is Kit, Kit Foster. I'm a photography major at the University of New Haven. I'm working on my final project called Couples with Coffee for my Narrative Photography class. I was wondering if you would be okay with me taking a few photos of the two of you and asking some questions?"

"Sure-absolutely," they replied in unison. Josh could already see Donna's eyes lighting up at the idea of helping a fellow art student, and he was more than happy to have an opportunity to take pictures with Donna.

"Thank you so much! I saw you two inside and you were just, well you were adorable. The jabs about the number of shots in the coffee drink, the debate over who was paying, the whole thing with the banana- whatever that was about, the way your hand rests so naturally on the small of her back . . . You just look so comfortable together. Sometimes I just see some couples and I think, yeah they got that special thing, and I really want to capture that for my project. Sorry, I talk a lot when I get excited."

"We have that in common," Donna smiled as she extended her hand to Kit, "I'm Donna and this is my boyfriend Josh. Nice to meet you Kit."

"Yeah nice to meet you. Is there umm any possibility we can get a copy of the photos, I will pay you for them," Josh asked as he shook Kit's hand.

"It's a pleasure meeting you both. Oh no worries, I'm happy to send you prints, no charge. You're really helping me out."

"Hey we support the arts. Donna's an artist, she paints." Josh couldn't hide his enthusiasm.

"Oh I would love to see your work sometime! Are you an art student? Do you use oil or water colors?"

"Oh oil primarily, I never like my watercolor work, it just never blends quite right. And I just find that oil work is more vivid. Not that I don't find watercolor beautiful, I mean Winslow Homer's work is just breathtaking. Oh and yes, I'm an art student," Donna smiled and bounced on her feet just a little bit. She was in her element, Josh could tell. Her passionate just radiated off of her, and he couldn't wait to see her work. He had only had the privilege of seeing her chalkboard drawings, but Josh knew Donna had a few special projects in her apartment. She had told him that she didn't want to show him her work until it was done, so he still hadn't see the inside of her apartment. But he had a feeling that he would be seeing those special projects soon and her apartment too.

"I hear you on the watercolors. I can't paint anything. I've tried. But I'm pretty good with this thing," Kit chuckled as she held up her camera. "Can I get the two of you to stand in front of the bench right here? Awesome. Alright, just do your thing, be natural like you were inside. Pretend I'm not here."

"I can be natural Blue Eyes," Josh grinned as he wrapped his arm around Donna's waist, pulling her towards him and giving her a deep kiss.

"Nice, and I love that the coffee cups are right there," Kit said as she moved around, getting different angles.

"I wanna try your croissant." Josh sat on the bench and pulled Donna into his lap, causing her to throw her head back in laughter. They shared the croissant and laughed light heartedly and even bantered a little as Kit continued to take some photos. As a spark of inspiration hit him, Josh told Kit he would be right back and sure enough he returned not thirty seconds later with a very happy Buster.

"Oh God you have a dog. Yes I need photos of this . . . of all this," Kit gestured with her hands. More Photos were taken: ones of Josh and Donna hugging Buster, one of them putting the donut around Buster's nose, Josh and Donna kissing as Buster looked up, and the two of them laughing as Buster drank his Puppuccino. Lastly, the two sat on the bench with Buster in front of them, Josh gently rubbing Donna's hand while they sipped their drinks and chatted about which two movies they should rent off the small list they had created the previous night.

"So tell me you two, how did you meet?" Kit asked as she switched lenses.

"Funny you should ask that, since this is a project about couples with coffee, we actually met at a coffee shop."

"Yeah I was his barista. Josh walked over in a rush and looked so disheveled, his hair was wild, he had all this energy . . ."

"And then she said I looked like a guy in need of a coffee, and of course I looked up and saw her beautiful face and froze in my tracks. Her presence just made me feel at ease, ya know? All of a sudden I wasn't feeling rushed. Then she made fun of me for eating frozen pizza."

"I told him that I hope he cooked it."

"Which I did," Josh was quick to add.

"For the most part."

"Yeah for the most part, because it was still a little frozen." The two laughed as they recalled the memory.

"How long have you been together?"

"Six weeks. I wanted to ask her out sooner, but I was too nervous."

"Every time he came in, I hoped he would ask me out. I think I blushed each time he came to the register."

"And then I panicked when one of my law school classmates asked her out."

"Oh I bet!" Kit replied emphatically.

"I only had eyes for you, Pumpkin Patch."

"Thank God Blue Eyes!" They both laughed for a moment before Donna cupped Josh's face and said, "Joshua Lyman, you are the only person I want to share my chocolate croissants with."

"And you're the only person I want to share my blueberry muffins with, Donnatella Moss." And again they forgot all about Kit taking photos, as they met each other halfway in a kiss that expressed exactly how they felt about one another.

Donna what do you admire most about Josh?" Kit asked a few minutes later as they began to walk towards the car.

"He's brilliant! Someday he's going to change the whole world and make it a better place."

"How about you Josh?"

"Her strength. She's the strongest person I know." Josh looked over at Donna as he squeezed her hand. His answer had nearly brought Donna to tears. She often felt weak and needy, and the fact that Josh admired her strength meant everything to her. She smiled and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek.

"You two are sweet. Okay last question, favorite physical characteristic?"

"Oh his dimples."

"Her eyes. I love her eyes." Neither of them missed a beat with their answers.

"Wow you two are amazing. Thank you, thank you so much for doing this. Here take my card, and where can I send the photos?"

After exchanging information, Kit waved goodbye as Josh, Donna, and Buster got in the volvo and made their way towards Winslow Park. Josh just knew Donna would love it there, with the water from the brook that cascaded under the bridge, the walking paths through the woods, and all the trees that surrounded the park benches. And of course he knew she would be ecstatic about seeing all the other dogs enjoying the pup-friendly park.

They made their way to one of the park benches and enjoyed the rest of their carb convention goodies. They laughed as Buster patiently waited for his little bites of the donut, and they sipped on the rest of their coffee drinks before continuing to walk hand in hand through the woods and over the little bridge. Josh loved seeing Donna take in her surroundings, and he promised to bring her back in the winter when there was snow, and in the springtime when the trees were green, and then in the fall so she could see the vivid leaves as they changed to the perfect blend of red, yellow, and orange. He imagined them sitting on a blanket with a picnic, as she painted and he read. He thought about her reading a Walt Whitman poem while he listened to the softness of her voice. God he couldn't wait for all those moments.

Josh told Donna about how he and Joanie would ride their bikes through the park, and how he would sit on the back of her banana seat and hold on tight to his sister as they rode through the wooded paths with Noah and Miriam not far behind. Josh mentioned how he was too nervous to ride without his training wheels. It wasn't until after Joanie died, that he was determined to ride his two wheeler, he wanted to make his sister proud. Noah had brought him to the park one day and after a few tears from falls and frustration, he did it. He rode through the whole park that day and he didn't fall once. Josh loved hearing Donna's story about how Lorenzo and Gian Carlo taught her how to ride a bike. One day they had taken her training wheels off, and carefully each brother held onto a handle bar as Donna steadied herself on the bike. Eventually they let go as she became comfortable pedaling, but ran to keep up with her so that they would be there in case she fell.

They watched as Buster mingled with the other dogs, chasing tennis balls, and being dog detectives as they all sniffed the ground looking for whatever scent they had picked up. They chatted with a few other dog owners, and continued their way through the park. Josh chuckled at Donna's story about how she used climb trees, and how both of her brothers cried when she won the competition of who could climb the highest. Her dad bought her ice cream that night while her brothers had to sit in time out for being poor sports.

Josh stopped and looked at Donna. He needed her to hear this, "It's true you know," he began to say as he brushed Donna's hair behind her ear. "I admire your strength. Your perseverance and indomitable spirit is a part of the strength I see in you every day, and I just wanted you to know that. I know you don't always feel strong, but Donna, you really are."

"There are a lot of days where I feel weak and needy, and it means a lot to me Josh that you see me as strong."

"It's okay to feel weak and needy sometimes sweetheart. You've been through a lot. But just because you feel weak and needy at times, doesn't mean that you are weak and needy. But I understand how you feel, because when you said you admire my mind, it made me so happy and so proud, because I don't always feel like I'm smart. I have to work hard at it, and I don't always understand concepts right off the bat and I have to keep reading and re-reading until I get it. Or, sometimes where law school is concerned, I need to call my dad. My IQ doesn't break the bank. I just study hard."

"Well I think you're brilliant Joshua Lyman. I hear you during your study group sessions; you are an incredible teacher and you have a good heart with a passion for helping people. You really will help change this world for the better. And your IQ doesn't need to break the bank to be brilliant, you have a wonderful mind Mr. 760 Verbal." Her words meant more to Josh than he could express.

"So Miss Moss, how about you tell me when you're feeling weak and needy and I will remind you of how strong you are . . . and when I'm not feeling confident about my intelligence, you can remind me that I have a wonderful mind . . . deal?" He asked with a grin.

"Deal. Absolutely a deal," and their agreement was sealed with a kiss.

So Joshua Lyman, originally, you were planning to have our first kiss in a park. If that plan had worked out, how would you have kissed me?" Donna asked coyly.

"Like this, right here next to this park bench," Josh said in all seriousness as he cupped her face and gently pressed his lips to hers, his hands then moving through her silky hair as he gently tugged on her lower lip. Donna responded in kind by wrapping her arms around Josh, her hands finding the curls at the nape of his neck and her lips gently parting for his. They both smiled as they pulled apart and brushed their noses together. With shining eyes, their lips met again for a few moments as Josh's hands found their way to Donna's hips, pulling her closer as they held each other, just breathing in the scent of one another and enjoying the feeling of true happiness.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"So are those the same two deli gomers from yesterday?" Josh whispered as they approached the counter, causing Donna to playfully roll her eyes. "Yes Josh, those are the two gentlemen who assisted me at the counter yesterday."

"Gomers . . ." Josh mumbled.

"Hey what are you doing back here so soon? Did you enjoy the fresh mozzarella?" One of the men asked.

Donna smiled, "Yes we did, thank you. I'm back because we're meal prepping." Donna grabbed Josh's hand, pulling him out of his little slump, his chest instantly puffing up as he got the opportunity to show the two gomers that Donna was in fact taken . . . by him.

"We'll take one pound of the ground turkey and a pound of the garlic and herb chicken please." The men smiled as each began packaging the meat.

"Joshua Lyman, did I see your chest puff up?"

"Umm no?"

"No?" Donna raised one eyebrow in question.

"And by no I mean yes." Josh brought out the dimples for reinforcement. Donna's sweet gesture wasn't lost on Josh. She knew he was brooding about the deli dudes so she grabbed his hand to make her point that the two of them were together. She knew it would make him feel better.

"Saved by the dimples Mr. Lyman!"

"I can't help it Donna, I want everyone to know I'm your boyfriend. I umm get a little jealous where you're concerned and ummm I've never felt that before meeting you . . ." Josh said a little sheepishly as his foot dug at the imaginary spot on the ground, not meeting Donna's eyes.

"Josh? Josh look at me."

"Yeah," his eyes still not meeting hers. Donna had quickly learned that when he wasn't able to look her in the eyes at the first request, that something was deeply bothering him. She gently tilted his head up and smiled, "It's okay to have those feelings Josh."

"Yeah?" He asked, sounding a little hopeful.

"Of course."

"Ah-kay. I was worried it might ummm, I don't know, bother you or something . . . that you might look at me differently."

"Of course I wouldn't think differently of you Josh. I don't want you to ever have to worry about that. I'm glad you shared how you were feeling. I get jealous too. I see how other women look at you."

"I don't. I only have eyes for you."

"Exactly. Just like I don't see other men looking at me, because I only have eyes for you." Donna smiled as she gave him a quick kiss and squeezed his hand. Josh instantly felt better.

"Ahh-kay Donna. But I'm still going to be on gomer lookout."

"You can be on gomer lookout, but don't let it upset you, and if it does remember this conversation."

"K. Now tell me about this flower gomer who was calling my mom pretty."

"Oh my God Josh, he was like 70-years-old," Donna laughed.

"Well still, gomer . . ."

"How about you take a break from gomer patrol and grab the stuff from the deli. I'll meet you in the produce section."

"We don't need to go there. I know what's in the produce section."

"Josh you're eating vegetables."

"Donnnnna."

"Not up for debate."

"Fine. But can we try to make them taste ya know less like vegetables?"

"We're not going crazy here. I'm just getting carrots and cucumber, which I know you like."

"K, I can deal with that. Buster's eating vegetables too, right?"

"Oh absolutely. I'm showing no favoritism."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

They spent a good 45 minutes at the video store, going back and forth in their familiar repartee about which movies to get. The list they had created the night before had gone out the window, and after countless vetoes, they finally agreed to disagree, and each selected one movie that the other hadn't already turned down. To Josh's dismay, Donna chose Top Gun. He mumbled something about shirtless men playing beach volleyball. Josh of course, chose Eight Men Out, another baseball movie that he enjoyed and took the next five minutes explaining to Donna why it was so good. She loved his enthusiasm and passion for baseball and history and she even promised him that they would watch his movie first.

Once they got home, they made their way to the kitchen with Buster to start meal prepping. Donna cooked the ground turkey and brown rice while Josh cut up the chicken and veggies. Josh found it endearing when Duran Duran's "Notorious" came on and Donna started singing and dancing around the kitchen. He hopped up on the counter, enjoying the show when she pulled him down and got him to dance with her. And Donna got quite the show when Josh took a spatula and started singing along to Bon Jovi's "Livin on a Prayer" hitting every note perfectly. They laughed over random "Would You Rather" questions. Donna had stumped Josh when she asked him if he would rather only eat vegetables or register and vote Republican for the rest of his life. After a few hours, Josh and Buster each had lunch and dinner every day for the following week.

After Buster was fed, Josh and Donna got the basement ready, deciding to sleep down there that night. Noah and Miriam had just walked through the door as the delivery guy arrived with dinner. They chatted for a few minutes and divvied up the Chinese food cartons before the two politely excused themselves as they were still "out on their date".

Buster followed close behind as they made their way to the basement. Josh and Donna enjoyed "Eight Men Out" and shared their orange chicken, fried rice, and brownies. They snuggled into the L-shape couch under the blankets, and Buster of course had found his comfortable place, resting his head on Josh and Donna's feet. Josh would laugh from time to time when he heard Donna's ticklish giggle, knowing that Buster was licking her feet.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

After a quick intermission between movies, Josh and Donna began to make their way back downstairs with Buster hot on their trail. "No Buster, you gotta stay upstairs pal," Josh had said kindly to his little brother. Buster just looked back and forth between him and Donna, wagging his tail. "No pal, go play with Dad. We will see you in the morning, k?"

"Buster! Buster come play with my wallet!" Noah shouted from the living room, causing Buster to take off in the opposite direction.

"Ahh, well I guess I know where we stand in the hierarchy of things!" Donna laughed as they made their way back into the basement den.

"No Donna, not Top Gun, you just wanna watch the volleyball scene. Let's watch something else I think there are a couple of movies in here . . ." Josh tried to persuade her as he browsed through the cabinet. "Oh my God. There are a ton of rom coms in here. My mom has totally been collecting movies since I left for undergrad. Here let's watch The Breakfast Club instead of Top Gun."

"Oh, we were actually going to watch it, Pumpkin Patch? I thought we were just putting the next movie on for background noise. Well okay if you actually want to watch something I guess we can," she was being coy with him.

"Wait, wait, no, no Donna, no." He got up from the floor and grabbed her by the hips.

"No?" She arched her eye.

"No, we are not watching something else. I'm all of a sudden very interested in ya know, Top Gun."

"Ah I see."

"Mmmhmm."

"Well put the movie in Joshua. I've been waiting to watch Top Gun for a while . . ." She walked away, leaving him dumb struck.

"How long Donna?"

"Long enough that we aren't going to get through the previews . . ."

He had never put a movie in and pressed play so quickly as he did just then. "Come here Blue Eyes," Josh whispered as Donna crawled into his lap, straddling his hips. It took all of a second for their lips to lock, for hands to find their way into hair. Gently, Josh tugged on Donna's sweatshirt and removed it. His lips made their way across her collar bones and rested on the hollow of her neck for a moment before he took off his t-shirt.

"How is it that I saw you without your pants on before I saw you without a shirt on?" Donna's voice was filled with mirth.

"Ahh, well taking my shirt off is part of the regular tour, and it appears that we skipped that. We were pretty focused on the extended tour."

"Fair enough," Donna laughed as she ran her hands over Josh's warm chest before meeting his lips again with her own. Josh moved his hands to the hem of her tank top and grabbed the fabric before pausing to look for her approval. And with Donna's encouragement, Josh carefully removed the tank top and saw this part of Donna's body for the first time. "You're beautiful Donnatella," Josh whispered as he lovingly ran his hands over her body with reverence. His hand stilled as his fingers grazed over a small bump between Donna's ribs, just below her left breast. It felt similar to the scar on her arm and Josh quickly realized that what he was touching was in fact another scar.

"I haven't seen this one yet . . ." He leaned over to look at the mark on the side of her ribs. "Does it hurt?" Josh asked as he placed a gentle kiss on it.

"Mmm nope," Donna's answer was breathy as she enjoyed the feeling of Josh's lips on her body.

"Does this feel good baby? Like it does on your other scars?" Josh asked as he blew gently on her healing incision.

"Mmmhmm," was all she could respond with as she smiled and relaxed even more under his touch. Josh examined the incision for a moment. Like her other scars, it was still a deep purple, but this one was much smaller, not even two inches in length. He didn't know much where medicine was concerned, so he wasn't quite sure what this scar was from in relation to her injuries.

"I'm sorry I have to ask and if you don't want to talk about it right now it's okay . . . What's this scar from sweetheart?"

"They had to put in a chest tube for my lungs . . . This is the only scar you haven't seen."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Donnatella," Josh said between kisses. He wanted to give this scar as much attention as possible. The thought of Donna not being able to breathe scared him immensely.

"It's okay Josh. My lungs are much better now. I'm healing." She ran her hand gently through his curls, knowing that it would help him relax, to bring him back to the present. She didn't want Josh thinking about her accident and worrying.

"Did it hurt? The chest tube, did it hurt you?"

"No, I don't even remember it ever being there. They put it in while I was in surgery and took it out two days later while I was . . ." Donna didn't want to say in a coma, so she paused to think of a better phrasing, Josh found the perfect words.

"Still asleep?"

"Yeah, while I was still asleep."

"I like the feeling of your skin against mine," Josh spoke softly as he pulled Donna close to him, his hands wandering along her back over her soft, alabaster skin as his lips trailed kisses along the swell of her breasts. Donna's back slightly arched, she loved the feeling of his lips on this part of her body. His lips lingered there a moment longer, and then journeyed lower as he gently took one of her dusty pink nipples into his mouth, his warm hands softly kneading her breasts.

"Oh my God, Josh . . ." Donna's voice was barely a whisper as her hand cupped the back of his head and she let herself get lost in the feeling of Josh's lips and hands on one of the most sensitive parts of her body.

The movie continued in the background as Josh and Donna found themselves pressed together on the couch, their legs tangled together as hands and lips explored exposed skin. The feeling of Donna's soft underwear rubbing against his boxer shorts was driving Josh wild. Sometime during the movie, they had removed their sweatpants, aching for more skin to skin contact.

"Josh . . ." Dona said his name softly as her hands ran over his stomach.

"Mmm?" Josh smiled as his fingers made little circles on her hip.

"Josh, I know tonight's not the night. But I just want you to know that I'm ready . . ." And he knew exactly what she meant. It warmed his heart that she wanted him know how she was feeling about making love.

"It will be special, Donnatella, I promise." His words trailed off into a whisper as his lips met hers in a kiss that deepend quickly. God she's beautiful, Josh thought as he ran his fingers over Donna's cheek, covering her eyelids, nose, and forehead with feather-light kisses. Even though they both knew that tonight wasn't the night, he wanted to, God did Josh want to. But there was no way he was going to let it happen before he tells her that he's in love with her, and Josh knew exactly how he was going to tell her. He had woken up that morning and the perfect idea had come to mind. Now he just had to put his plan together.


	30. Important Thoughts, Bacons and Crunchies (Part of the Westport Arc)

Hi There! Oh my goodness it has been awhile. A couple things before we jump into the next chapter :)

I want to give a big shout out to SadFruitSnack for creating my new cover photo for this story. Their artwork is amazing and you can follow them on Twitter at sadfruitsnack :) The photo was inspired by Oliver and Jenny from Love Story, great movie, but incredibly sad. Chapter 31 opens with Josh and Donna studying, looking exactly as they do in my cover photo. Hopefully I can get that chapter published soon!

Life update :) I certainly didn't intend to not update for over two months! But around the time I published my last chapter, I found out I was nearly seven weeks pregnant! :) This is my first pregnancy, and I never expected to be so exhausted. I literally had enough energy to go to work and that was it. I would look at my computer after work, tell myself I need/want to write, and then I would fall asleep in my chair, lol. Now that I'm past the first trimester, I have more energy and I am ready to write again :) If I ever disappear again for an extended period of time, just know that I plan to always come back and write more. I have big plans for Josh and Donna in this story and there is a lot coming up for them in the near future!

So this chapter is a little different. In fact it is first person point-of-view, but I think it works :) Right now I feel really rusty with writing, and this chapter was a great way for me to ease back into the process. I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you enjoy!

Thanks again for reading my story! - SeaDog

P.S. Lots of stuff seems to make me cry as of recent (goodbye morning sickness, hello tears!) So positive and/or constructive criticism comments only please :) Thank you :)

I wake up and stretch my paws, taking note that I'm the only one in the bed. My guard dog senses are quick to go on high alert:

Where's my Brother?

Where's my Donna?

I put my sniffer nose into action and can smell them. They're somewhere in the house, so I stop worrying. But why didn't they sleep here last night? They know I would share MY bed. My nose quickly catches a scent: turkey bacons. I love turkey bacons. I know Mom must be making something delicious for me, and okay, she's probably cooking for everyone else too.

I make my way out of my room, but not before rolling around on my soft red rug. It was Josh's, but it's mine now. When I reach the stairs I stop briefly.

I hate the stairs.

My paws can't grip the wood, and sometimes I've been known to tumble, it's so embarrassing. Mom and Dad have discussed a rug, but I'm tough and I can handle it. I start to make my way down, counting each stair as I go:

One …

Two …

Three …

Four …

And then it happens. My paws slide, "Oh no Buster get a grip!" I tell myself, but I just give in and slide on my tummy. Weeeeeeee! - Oooof! I hit the landing with a loud thud. That slide was fun, I give that performance an eight out of ten, too bad no one saw it.

I shake it off and walk over to Dad's study, he's in there doing important stuff so I don't bother him. His wallet is on an empty chair, so I take it with me to protect it and yeah I'm probably gonna chew on it too. I can't help it, it tastes good. Pawing my way into the kitchen I drop the wallet in a special place, because it's time to eat bacons and crunchies. Mom already has my bowl ready.

I love Mom.

I finish my breakfast in approximately 19 seconds, a new record. I'm enjoying watching my Mom sing along to some guy named Frankie Valli, and I'm hoping she will look over at me and be charmed by my good looks. (I am a Lyman man ya know?) She finally looks at me and I take it to the next level of cute, I start wagging my tail and tilting my head. I don't have dimples, but I do have other tricks! It works and she comes over to pat my head and gives me a little more bacons. I'm treated to an ear scratch and a lovely smile from Mom. "You're such a good boy Buster!" She whispers as she continues to rub my ears. She mentions something about today being the first day of "Hahn-kuh" and me getting an extra treat for the special occasion. She's still smiling and I love seeing that.

Ever since Mom, Dad, and Josh adopted me, I've always sensed a sadness inside Mom. She hides it well, but it's there. She misses Joanie. I didn't know who Joanie was for a little while, until I understood that she would have been my big Sister. Sometimes I would see Mom wipe away a tear when she looked at a picture and sometimes I would hear her cry when no one else was home. Dad says Mom hasn't played the piano since Joanie died. I wish I could hear Mom play, I could howl at all the right parts too. I always take care of her when she's sad and offer her snuggles. I really love my Mom.

Josh carries something inside him too, but it's not pure sadness like Mom . . . it's guilt. He feels responsible for Joanie. Once a year on her birthday, he listens to a song called Ave Maria and just sits there in his room, this is when my Brother feels the full weight of his guilt. I know he worries constantly about losing the people he loves, and I always offer him a hug, a paw or two, or just some company. I really love my big Brother.

Then there's Dad. He's always strong for Mom and on the days he knows she's sad, he tries to make her feel better. He handles his own grief by working in the community. Dad goes to a few events and talks to people about Joanie, and how dangerous appliances in the kitchen can be. He also helps the local fire fighters with an event called Smoke House, or something like that. Dad demonstrates how to get out of a home filled with smoke. I wish I could go with him to the Smoke House and help demonstrate, but I can't be a fire dog, because you gotta have spots and I don't have spots, oh well ... But I would be good at it! When I see that Dad looks sad, I bring him my leash so we can go for a walk or I invite him to chase squirrels out of our backyard. I really love my Dad.

This weekend I've noticed something different and it has everything to do with Donna. Mom and Dad have been smiling so much! Mom instantly bonded with Donna and I think that bond is helping her heal. We all love Donna so much, especially Josh. Mom and Dad always talk about how happy they are that Donna came into Josh's life ... And that he's in love. I see a big difference in my big Brother since he met Donna. I've never seen him this happy and I know he feels complete, like all his life pieces fit together. Last year I was worried about him. He wasn't that happy and sometimes he would come home and he had this scent attached to him ... I didn't like the scent at all, it wasn't like Donna's or Mom's. I caught a whiff of that same scent a while ago when Dad and I met Josh and Donna at the coffee house place.

I was really worried about Donna that night at the coffee shop place. I just want to protect her and make her feel better when she hurts. Her hurt is different than my family's, her pain is from physical ouchies, and I think someone used to hurt her. It makes me sad and puts me in guard dog mode. Who would hurt my Donna? Any chance I get I snuggle up to her and give her a hug. I like to follow her around to make sure she's okay. I really love my Donna.

My tummy is full and I want Josh and Donna time. I haven't seen them since last night which is forever in dog time so I'm making my way downstairs. Roadblock- the door is closed. A friendly bark and tail wag alerts Mom and she opens the door. These stairs are easy- carpet. The downstairs door is cracked open, so I open it the rest of the way with my snout and make my way over to the couch.

There's a lot of snuggling going on, as usual.

Why wasn't I invited?

I feel left out.

Sad Buster.

Oh socks! My mind changes gears as I see socks on the floor and start chewing on them. Tasty. I think I might hide them in the safe spot where I put Dad's wallet. I stop chewing as I become distracted by Donna's foot hanging off the side of the couch. I can't help it- I give it a lick, Donna won't mind.

She's asleep but she giggles. I forgot she's ticklish hehe. Sorry Donna. Josh is snoring just a little, everyone blames me, but he snores. I lick his hand and he groans my name. How did he know I was here? How did he wake up so quick?

"Good morning Buster," I hear Donna's sweet voice. She gently pats her hand against the couch. I know what that means! I'm being invited for snuggles.

I hop onto the couch and make myself comfortable, taking in the warmth of two pairs of feet before resting my eyes. Bacons and crunchies breakfast makes me sleepy, so it's naptime.

G'night! (I know it's morning, but still . . . G'night!)

\- Buster Lyman


	31. Westport Part V (Hanukkah)

Hello again! Thank you all for your kind comments and well-wishes! This chapter completes the Westport Arc. Thanks for reading :)

Josh had never felt more relaxed or comfortable while studying. Donna had been curled up against his chest, reading a chapter on Ralph Waldo Emerson and his influence on the Transcendentalism movement for her 19th Century American Literature class. Josh had been focusing on Tort Law, stockpiling his brain with everything he thought he needed to know for his final exam. They had been studying for the better part of the morning, with a visit from Buster every now and then.

Feeling confident that he truly understood Tort Law, Josh closed his book and ran his fingers through Donna's hair, "How do you feel about a study break Blue Eyes? Or would you like more time?"

"Nah, I'm good. I think I've learned all there is to know about Ralph," Donna chuckled as she closed her book and tossed it on the floor.

"Well good, cuz uhhh ya know, we are entitled to our 15 minute break. It's the law."

"Ah, well we can't break the law now can we?"

"Mmm nope, can't do that, we'll get in trouble."

"So Mr. Lyman, what would you like to do on our mandated 15 minute break?"

Josh's mischievous look gave him away, "I was hoping to make out with my girlfriend."

"Are we allowed to do that on our break?"

"Mmmhmm. We do it all the time in my car when you're on your break at Cabbot's," Josh whispered as he ran his hands under Donna's sweatshirt.

"Well then, that's enough evidence for me," Donna smiled as she gently pulled him in for a kiss.

The break went far longer than 15 minutes.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Oh!" Donna exclaimed as they made their way up the basement stairs and into the kitchen. "I wanted to ask you about that framed issue of The Harvard Crimson."

"Ahhh you saw that. I sent that issue home to my parents, it was the first issue that was published when I was Editor-in-Chief. They framed it for me. I spent a lot of time working on that paper when I was at Harvard."

"Wow Josh," Donna paused and gave him that head tilt he loves so much. "That's an incredible accomplishment. I'm proud of you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah of course." His deep dimples were met with her infectious smile.

"It was a lot of work, earning the spot and then running the paper. But I think it will be even more of a challenge joining the Yale Law Journal. Not many students are selected, and to even be considered, I absolutely have to stay in the top 10% of my class this year. If I don't, I can always try and write my way on, but I really want to be selected the first time around, just like my Dad was."

Donna knew immediately that Josh was already starting to stress about the Yale Law Journal. He already studied hard enough, and the idea of him working harder than he already was concerned her. She was also worried about the negative voice in Josh's head that kept telling him, "Your IQ doesn't break the bank."

She placed a gentle hand on his cheek, "You're brilliant Josh. And whether or not you get asked to join the Yale Law Journal, you are still brilliant, and your parents are already immensely proud of you. Law School is a part of you, but it doesn't define who you are and everything that you can accomplish."

"How did I get so lucky to find you?" Was all Josh could whisper as he held Donna close, letting the stress radiate away from his body and enjoying the calmness that her touch brought.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Josh walked into the kitchen to grab a couple cokes for him and his dad. He couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of him, Donna and his mom huddled together making Matzo Ball Soup, his mom showing Donna how to get the recipe just right. He didn't want to interrupt, but seeing Donna's hand twitch made him change his mind.

"Your hand feel okay?" he asked with a smile as he picked up her hand and kissed it.

"Yeah," she looked up at him with a smile, and he knew she was okay. "It's just, you know, taking its time healing and protesting the cold," Donna replied in fake exasperation. He loved how she felt comfortable talking about her injuries with him.

"K, I'm gonna go watch the game with my Dad and Buster. Let me know if you need anything," Josh spoke softly as he kissed her cheek and walked out of the kitchen.

"No kiss for your mother, Joshua?"

"Sorry Mame," he apologized as he kissed her cheek briskly and went back to the Giants game.

"Does it bother you a lot, your hand?" Miriam asked as she continued to stir the hot soup.

"It depends. The doctors said with the nerve damage, it could take a while to heal. The twitching comes and goes, sometimes it's intense and other times it's slight, like right now."

Miriam smiled at Donna and nodded her understanding. She was already incredibly fond of her and felt that they had instantly connected. "Donna, I want you to know that Noah and I are here for you too, if you ever want to talk. I know your parents are pretty far away. When you're ready and feel comfortable talking about what happened, I am here to listen, Noah too. But if you feel more comfortable having Joshua tell us, that's perfectly okay, too."

Donna smiled and reached for Miriam's hand, "Thank you Miriam. I would love to share the whole story with you and Noah sometime in the near future. Maybe one of these weekends we can have that hot cocoa we talked about earlier, and I can tell you about it, and answer any questions you might have."

"I'd like that very much Donna."

"Me too Miriam. And thank you, for being so comforting and kind to me. I can see where Josh gets it from. I certainly don't want to leave you and Noah completely in the dark for the next few weeks, so for now, I want to share that I had a serious accident. I've had several surgeries and I still have some lingering effects with my hand and arm."

Miriam responded with a small squeeze of Donna's hand, showing both her support and concern. She took a moment to look over and smile at Josh in the living room. He was pacing and Miriam could tell that he was practicing his hebrew so that he could say the blessings when it came time to light the menorah. Miriam knew he wanted to recite it perfectly for Donna. It was at that moment that Miriam pulled Donna in for a hug and whispered, "I'm so thankful you walked into Joshua's life. You are everything and more that Noah and I want for him. You're the best thing that has ever happened to our son."

Miriam's words resonated with Donna. She had been so worried about being "good enough" for Josh, and Noah and Miriam had been so kind and welcoming to her since the moment she arrived. Donna truly felt good enough. She gave Miriam a warm smile, "I'm thankful he walked into mine. He's an amazing person and he's going to do incredible things. He's the best thing that has ever happened to me. He could have picked any woman in the coffee shop, but he chose me. I'm not sure how I got so lucky."

"He only had eyes for you Donnatella, and he's the lucky one," Miriam winked as they went back to stirring the soup, adding just a little bit more dill.

"Oh Donna, do you mind if I ask how you're parents are doing with you being so far away and your accident? I cannot imagine Joshua being so far away. Harvard was a three hour drive and even that distance was pretty tough! I'm glad I had Buster keep me company for Josh's junior and senior years." Miriam and Donna both smiled at Buster, who had quietly walked into the kitchen, hoping to get some soup.

"My parents are doing okay," Donna began with a small smile, but Miriam knew what Donna was implying between the lines. She squeezed Donna's hand lightly and asked, "But they don't know how to treat you after your accident, do they?" Donna nodded her head and confirmed Miriam's guess.

"Going to Yale made me feel like a normal college student. Here, I am Donna the student, and back home, I feel like I am Donna, the accident victim. I'm certainly not ready to go home to Wisconsin. That's going to take some time."

"And honey that is perfectly okay. It's normal to feel that way. After Joanie died, I couldn't go to certain places in Westport that reminded me of her. It was too hard. It took a long time to heal. Your parents are just so worried, and are unsure how to treat you right now. In time, that will get better, especially when they see how well you are doing: working, a dual major, living on your own after a terrible accident. I'm sure they are very proud of you. You should be proud of yourself Donna," Miriam smiled as she leaned down to give Buster some carrots. Donna couldn't help but smile back, Miriam's praise meant so much. She had only spent three days with Josh's parents, but she adored and loved them so much already.

"I'm so sorry, about Joanie. I know how much Josh misses her." Donna didn't want to overlook that Miriam had mentioned her daughter.

"Thank you Donna. It was an awful thing to have happen, but you know what?"

"What?"

"I love talking about her. So anytime you want to ask questions or hear stories, I'm always up for it."

"I would love to hear more stories about her Miriam. Maybe over that hot cocoa we talked about?"

"I would love to. It has been awhile since I got to really talk about her."

"And you can tell me more embarrassing stories about Josh!" Donna added as both women laughed. Josh and Noah could hear the laughter from the other room, and smiled at one another, loving the bond that had formed between Donna and Miriam.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Oh you two are color coordinated!" Miriam shouted in excitement as Josh led Donna down the stairs to the living room. Josh was wearing a yellow, woven shirt with black slacks, and Donna looked beautiful in her pale blue long sleeved dress.

"Oh Donna I love the lace on that dress! Oh and the yellow sash matches Joshua's shirt perfectly! Fireplace you two, I need photos."

After several photos, everyone gathered into Noah's volvo to head to B'nai Israel for service. Donna absolutely loved the inside of the Synagogue, admiring all of its features. Josh pointed out the aron ka-hodesh, and explained that the Torah scrolls are kept there. Noah pointed to a lit lamp, and shared that it was called the ner tamid, and how it symbolizes everlasting light, "It is a reminder for the people that G-d is always there," he whispered.

"And that's the bimah," Miriam added. "That's where Josh read from the Torah on his Bar Mitzvah."

Donna loved learning about the Synagogue, and being there made her feel even more connected to Josh and his parents. This was a part of him that she was just getting to know. Donna had never been to a Synagogue before and it was very special for her to be sharing this experience with the Lymans.

After the service, Noah and Miriam mingled with some friends while Josh introduced Donna to Rabbi Cohen.

"Well, it looks like the Rabbi is taking to Joshua's girlfriend. I was hoping to set him up with my Deborah here," Mrs. Schoonmaker began.

"Oh mom stop, you're embarrassing me! I told you I didn't want to be set up," Deborah argued as she crossed her arms, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

"That's Donna. She's Joshua's bashert," Miriam stated to the group proudly. Noah smiled as he put his arm around his wife.

"Oh that's lovely." Another friend in the group added, and soon several comments followed.

"Oh indeed. I love finding out that a young person has found their bashert."

"They look good together. See how he smiles at her while she talks?"

"Oh definitely bashert. Look at how she touches his arm, and how his hand gently rests on her lower back."

"They look happy. Miriam, Noah, you must be thrilled."

Before Noah and Miriam could respond, Mr. Schoonmaker interrupted, "Oh, is she Jewish?"

Miriam had barely finished saying, "No, Donna isn't Jewish," before Mrs. Schoonmaker interrupted again, "But Miriam don't you and Noah want a nice Jewish girl for Joshua?"

At that point, Noah had heard enough from Mrs. Schoonmaker. He politely stepped in and made his point, "We never put any restrictions on who Joshua can love. We just want him to be happy."

"Well what about the grand children?" Mrs. Schoonmaker's tone was not one that Miriam or Noah appreciated.

"They'll be happy too, and healthy, and very loved."

"Well said Noah," Another friend added, shutting down any more opinions from Mrs. Schoonmaker. After a few minutes of chit chat and catching up, Noah and Miriam made their way over to Josh and Donna. Rabbi Cohen was not shy sharing with Noah and Miriam his feelings about how wonderful Donna was, and how they had a lovely conversation about how Josh and Donna met, and the stained glass windows in the Synagogue. Rabbi Cohen was also an artist himself, and looked forward to speaking with Donna in the future about the famous jewish painter, Samuel Hirszenberg.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Dinner was delicious. The Matzo Ball soup had turned out incredible, the brisket was perfectly tender, the vegetable kugel was so good that even Josh didn't complain about the zucchini, and Donna loved the latkes. Dessert was jelly-filled donuts and more of Donna's biscotti. Josh grabbed his old dreidel and everyone played at the dinner table, the prize being traditional Hanukkah gelt. After a few games, everyone made their way to the living room to light the menorah.

"This one is called the shamash, it means attendant," Josh told Donna as he carefully placed the shamash into the center of the menorah. "We say the blessing first, then light the other candles. Sine tonight is the first night, we will be lighting just this one," Josh explained as he added the other candle to the menorah to the farthest slot on the right. "Notice how the shamash is higher up than the other candles, it signifies its importance. It has the important job of lighting the other candles." Noah wrapped his arm around Miriam as Josh explained the candle lighting ritual to Donna. They loved seeing their son share this special moment with his love.

"Since the sun has set, we can light the shamash," Josh added as he carefully lit the candle. "I have a habit of burning my finger when I light the match, but I did okay tonight," Josh chuckled. "And now, I can recite the blessing over the candles. There are usually two, but since it is the first night, there are three blessings, we include the Shehecheyanu at the end."

"Good job b'NEE," Miriam smiled.

"Thanks mom. I'm gonna say the prayers in Hebrew and then recite them in English, k Blue Eyes? And then at the end of each prayer we say Amen. If you're comfortable with that."

Donna simply nodded her head yes and smiled, enjoying every moment of the experience.

And in the traditional chant, Josh began:

"Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. Amen.

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, she'asah nisim l'avoteinu, b'yamim haheim bazman hazeh. Amen

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, shehekheyanu, v'kiyamanu vehegianu lazman hazeh. Amen.

Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Chanukah. Amen.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who made miracles for our forefathers in those days at this time. Amen.

Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this season. Amen."

"Beautiful, Josh. Great job son," Noah added as he kissed Miriam on the side of her head.

"Thanks Dad. Thanks for helping me practice today." Josh reached for the shamash, and placed Donna's hand over his, and together they lit the first candle.

"Happy first Hanukkah Donnatella," Josh whispered as he lightly kissed Donna's lips and smiled.

"Happy Hanukkah Joshua, thank you for including me."

"You're welcome Blue Eyes. I love that you're here with us to celebrate. Now, we put the menorah by the window, to the left of the door always. The candles need to burn for at least 30 minutes. We usually just let them burn out by themselves, that's tradition."

"What did you think young lady?" Noah asked with excitement.

"Oh I loved it. The candle lighting was beautiful!"

"Well we're glad you enjoyed it. Josh did pretty good."

"He has a gift for teaching," Donna smiled as she rubbed Josh's back.

"So do you, you taught me how to draw Buster!"

"I need to see this famous drawing, we can put it on the fridge!" Noah chuckled.

Miriam could see that Josh was getting antsy, he wanted to move on to the next phase of the celebration- the gifts. He was itching to give Donna her Hanukkah present.

"Alright time for gift giving!" Miriam added as she pulled out the neatly wrapped gifts from the closet.

Josh, not giving a damn about patience, grabbed Donna's gift and sat next to her on the couch. "Happy Hanukkah Blue Eyes! Open your present!" He placed the present in her lap and kissed her cheek, leaving his arm comfortably draped around her shoulders.

"Josh didn't wrap that!" Noah couldn't help but shout it as he started laughing.

"Well, you didn't wrap yours either Noah, Donna did," Miriam quipped. Both women started to laugh as the men blushed. Both Josh and Noah needed some classes on how to gift wrap.

Donna carefully unwrapped her gift, speechless when she saw what was in front of her, but finally finding her voice, "Oh my God Josh! These are incredible! Thank you." Donna couldn't stop smiling as she opened the beautiful wooden box to a set of Escoda Grafilo Kolinsky-Tajmyr Sable paint brushes.

"You're welcome Blue Eyes. The guy at the shop said they were good for oil painting and watercolor."

"Speaking of painting, open our present next Donna!" Noah, like his son, could hardly contain his excitement. Donna's eyes grew wide as she saw the two large boxes that Noah brought over.

"For me?"

"For you, young lady. Open! Open!"

And carefully, Donna opened the first, it was a beautiful painting easel made of solid red oak. The second, a comfortable stool to use if she was tired of standing, which often happened when painting bigger projects.

"Noah, Miriam this is incredible. I don't even know what to say. This was so generous, thank you." Donna got up from her seat to hug them both. And although she didn't show it, she was overwhelmed with emotion. The Lymans had been so kind to her.

"You're welcome Donnatella. It was our pleasure. Josh mentioned that your time together often had to be worked around your art assignments. Now you have an easel at his apartment, so you can spend more time together." And then Donna couldn't help the tears that slid down her cheek. Not only did Noah and Miriam buy this gift because she was an artist, but thy bought it so that she could spend more time with Josh. Her brightest smile emerged as she quickly wiped away her tears and gave Noah and Miriam another hug.

"Now we can spend more time together," Josh whispered as Donna sat back down, her lips meeting his in a tender kiss.

Buster was next. Everyone got a kick out of Donna's present for him. A brand new leather wallet, that way Noah wouldn't worry about losing his anymore. Everyone had a good laugh. Josh gave Buster a brand new chew toy in the shape of a pizza slice, and Noah and Miriam got him a new rawhide bone. Buster of course, took his new treasures to the fire place and got comfortable and started chewing away.

Then it was Josh's turn. His eyes lit up when he opened his parents gift, "Oh my God Dad when are we going!?"

"I was thinking the first Saturday in January. We get to tour the inside of Shea Stadium, then we get a little batting practice in their indoor facility and a pitching clinic, followed by a meet and greet with some of the players."

Donna loved seeing the look of pure excitement on Josh's face. Baseball truly was one of his passions.

"Donna while the boys are out, let's have a girls day! I'm thinking mani/pedis, lunch, and massages?"

"Oh that sounds incredible Miriam!"

"These uhhh massage people."

"Massage therapists, Noah dear."

"Yeah massage therapists. They better not be handsome, swedish men."

"Yeah no gomers," Josh quickly added.

"Hmmm Donna whatta ya say? Should I book our massages with Sven and Anders?" Both women laughed at the looks of panic on both Noah and Josh's faces.

Next was Donna's gift. Josh carefully unwrapped the paper, and was in shock at what was in front of him. It was in his opinion, the best painting he had ever seen in his life. Donna had painted the photo he had given her on her birthday of him and Buster in his parents backyard under the big tree. He couldn't help but run his hand lightly over the oil painting. He was at a loss for words. He had only seen Donna's little chalkboard drawings, not one of her pieces of art. He had never been to her apartment because she was working on a few projects that she didn't want him to see quite yet, and now he knew that this one was one of them. Josh was moved by this gift, by her talent, the way she captured him and Buster, the way she saw him.

"Come here Blue Eyes," Josh said as he wrapped his arms around Donna, burying his face in her hair and neck, breathing in her scent. "I love my gift, thank you so much baby."

"You're welcome Joshua," Donna whispered as she smiled and kissed his temple.

"Now we can spend nights at your place?" Josh looked at Donna excitedly.

"Now we can spend nights at my place Pumpkin Patch."

"I wanna see your little apartment, I bet it's all cutesie."

"Cutesie?" Donna laughed a bit as she lifted her eyebrows.

"Yeah cutesie."

"Was that on your S.A.T?"

"You know it baby."

Donna laughed. "I bet you can rattle off some synonyms for cutesie. Noah, Miriam, would you like your gift?"

"Yeah! Is it cutesie?" Noah chuckled, picking on his son.

The mood quickly changed when Noah and Miriam saw their gift. They were speechless as they admired the beautiful artwork in front of them. It was Josh studying at the Cabbot's coffee bar, one hand on his coffee and the other buried deep into his hair as he leaned on his elbow while looking down at a textbook.

"Donnatella this is incredible," Miriam's words were barely audible. The painting had touched her heart and moved her to tears. Everything about this photo encapsulated Josh when he was hard at work, deep in a study session: the way his hair was tousled, mirroring his familiar trait of having had run his hand through his hair intermittently while studying, the way he let the full weight of his head rest on his hand, the way his fingers gripped his coffee cup . . . and his hair, it was the perfect shade of brown with his natural auburn highlights. It was absolutely breathtaking. Noah and Miriam both thought that Donna's painting reflected how well she understands him. She sees their son.

"Thank you. Oh I'm so glad you like it." Donna said just a little shyly, her cheeks turning the faintest shade of pink.

"Like it? We love it," Noah said matter of factly as he carefully put the painting down. Both he and Miriam hugged Donna, and Josh couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of him. Everything about this trip had been perfect, he thought.

After passing around the paintings, and Miriam and Noah opened their gift from Josh, two tickets to The King and I, which was making a small run on broadway from January to March, Josh suggested another movie night to Donna, who happily agreed.

"Mom you have a great selections of rom-coms downstairs by the way," Josh added as he and Donna made their way out of the living room.

"Rom-coms? Joshua what are you talking about? All of my movies are up here . . ."

Everyone just looked at Noah who turned five different shades of red. "Ummm, those are Buster's."

"Nice try Dad. You can't blame Buster."

"Okay yes fine. They're mine. When Harry met Sally is my favorite," Noah huffed, causing a round of laughter.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The following day included a nice family breakfast, Donna made french toast, turkey bacon, and a fruit bowl for everyone. The afternoon was another long round of studying, and before Josh and Donna knew it, it was time to pack up and get ready to go back to New Haven. Before leaving, Noah and Miriam wanted to share the second night of Hanukkah tradition with Donna. Josh smiled and explained that every year, he receives a pair of shoes as his second gift. Donna loved hearing the story of how this tradition was started. Miriam's father, Max Klein, had been a very well-known cobbler in New York City, and always gave his children a pair of shoes as a gift on the second night of Hanukkah. Josh received a new pair of black patent leather shoes to match his suit, and Donna received a beautiful pair of navy blue flats, perfect for all occasions. And as always, Miriam reminded Josh to be careful wearing his new shoes, since he had a habit of slipping while breaking them in. Before leaving, everyone made plans to have dinner the following Saturday and Miriam told Donna that she is welcome to leave as many of her belongings at their house as she would like, so that she didn't have to pack a bag every time her and Josh came to visit.

And in the car, Josh and Donna had their own gift exchange. Josh absolutely loved his new Mets Yarmulke, and Donna loved her loose leaf tea kit. Josh was just about to start the car when he paused and looked over at Donna, a smile crept across his face, "You wanna drive us back to New Haven, Blue Eyes?"

Donna's smile matched his as they switched seats and Donna started the engine and backed out of the driveway as they made their way back to New Haven.


	32. The Joshua Lyman Art Gallery

A/N: Happy weekend everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's a special one for Josh and Donna! Thanks for reading :)

December 14th, 1991

Donna stood in front of the mirror, putting on the finishing touches of her makeup. Josh was picking her up in about ten minutes for their date and the excitement was radiating off of her body. With finals in full force, they had hardly seen each other this past week. They had been two ships passing in the night with quick coffee dates here and there and notes left on frozen meals and in textbooks. Josh had been wildly concerned about Donna's lack of sleep and Donna had been equally concerned about Josh's eating habits. They just had to get past the next five days of studying before the winter break began.

Donna gave herself one final look over before she made her way into the living room. With Christmas less than two weeks away, she decided to splurge on an emerald green dress that she had seen in a boutique clothing shop earlier that week. Carefully, she put on the shiny, new black pumps that she also bought. Lucy Moss had never been one to let her daughter wear heels, but Donna had always wanted a pair and decided to go for it, they looked great with her dress. It was a sensible purchase too, being a girl on a budget, Donna wanted to make sure that her new footwear would work with several outfits. She certainly didn't have the funds to purchase a pair of shoes that would match just one dress. On her afternoon of shopping, Donna had spotted a lacy, emerald green bra and panty set, a perfect match for her dress. But with the money she spent on the dress and shoes, she decided to skip the lingerie. The practical part of her brain reminded her that her favorite blue bra and panty set would work just fine.

As she buttoned up her peacoat and waited on the couch, Donna again began to wonder about this "new" art gallery that Josh was taking her to. As an art student, she definitely had been to all the local galleries, and hadn't heard about a new opening. But Josh always had a way of surprising her and she couldn't wait to see what the night had in store for them. A knock at the door brought Donna back from her thoughts, a glowing smile crossed her face.

"Oscar! What are you doing here?" Donna asked with friendly curiosity.

"Hello Miss Donna. I'm your chauffeur this evening. I've been instructed by Mr. Lyman to escort you to a new art gallery this evening, where he will be waiting for you." Oscar's smile was contagious, and his quick wink certainly had Donna intrigued.

"Well then, lead the way Mr. Arroyo."

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Josh was nervous. He stood in his living room pacing back and forth in his best suit and the new shoes his parents had given him as a Hanukkah gift. He had of course, already slipped twice that evening, but was able to catch himself before completely falling to the ground. He had ruffled his hair to calm his nerves more times than he cared to admit, and he finally had his wild locks under control. Josh had hardly seen Donna all week, and he missed her . . . God did he miss her. He just had to get through his Tort and Con Law finals, and by next Friday, he and Donna could start enjoying their five weeks of winter break together. Josh walked back to the dinner table, smoothing out the linen in an attempt to busy his hands. He had ordered dinner from a local restaurant that he and Donna wanted to try. Dinner included two filet mignons, his of course was way over cooked as requested, and one medium; garlic and chive risotto; and two garden salads. The knock at the door brought Josh back from his thoughts, and although he was nervous, Josh was absolutely ready to share something very special with Donna. He had waited for the perfect moment, and now it was here.

"Hi," Josh could barely get the words out, he was too focused on how beautiful Donna looked.

"Hi," Donna smiled. She was taken aback by how handsome Josh looked in his suit.

They stood there for a moment, just looking at one another, both knowing that tonight was special. They had completely forgotten that Oscar was there.

"Okay I'll leave you two kids be. Dinner smells great Josh, bye!" Oscar waved enthusiastically as he began to walk away.

"Bye Oscar," Josh and Donna said together, both still looking into eachothers eyes.

"We gotta remember to thank him for being a chauffeur this evening," Donna suggested as she stepped into Josh's arms, wrapping her arms inside his suit jacket. Josh took a moment to breathe in the scent of her hair, rubbing his cheek against hers before cupping them with his hands and gently kissing Donna's lips.

'Welcome to the Joshua Lyman Art Gallery," he whispered.

"Mmm I haven't been to this art gallery before," Donna smiled as she looked around the apartment. All of the art pieces were covered with various towels, the lights were dim, and her new easel held a large chalk board that read "Welcome to The Joshua Lyman Art Gallery" in his best cursive. The effort and thought that Josh put into this was not lost on Donna. She smiled as she leaned into the crook of his neck, breathing in Josh's scent.

'Well tonight is the grand opening, and I set us up with a private tour and dinner."

"It smells incredible Josh. Did you cook?" Donnas asked as she removed her peacoat, giving Josh a first glimpse of her dress, rendering him speechless momentarily until he found his words, "You look amazing." He let his fingers gently trail down her arms.

"Well I think you look very handsome in your suit," Donna smiled as she gently started to fix his tie. There was something about the gesture that Josh immediately loved, whether it was a few moments to look at Donna, or the way her fingers on his chest relaxed him, or the idea that the gesture was intimate. Maybe it was all of it. And it was as if she knew what question he was about to ask next:

"Learning how to tie a tie, is fantastic physical therapy for someone who is rehabilitating their hand," Donna smiled and smoothed out the lapels of his jacket before giving Josh a quick peck on the lips.

"So dinner, Miss Moss, is something I cannot take credit for. But I did order from Watson's so that we could finally try it."

"An art gallery and dinner with a handsome guy. I feel pretty lucky." Before Josh could respond, Donna stumbled slightly in her heels, leaning on him for support. His instincts kicked in immediately as he caught her, readjusting his balance. "New shoes," Donna blushed. "I don't really wear heels that much so I guess I'm still learning how to walk," she laughed.

"Did you buy new shoes and a new dress for tonight Blue Eyes?"

"Yes, I wanted to look nice for our date . . . for you," she added shyly.

'Donnatella Moss, you don't need to impress me with new clothes. You could have shown up in your art smock and sweatpants, and you would be just as beautiful to me."

And of course his words brought a smile to Donna's face. She couldn't help but lean in and softly kiss his cheek, lingering just a moment longer to enjoy the feeling of his warmth. "Well, an art smock and sweatpants is my laundry day ensemble," Donna jested, bringing on a little banter.

"Well maybe we should have a laundry day. I can wear my pink heart boxers with an art smock," Josh chuckled as they walked to the dining room table, Josh automatically pulling out Donna's chair for her.

Dinner was met with their usual comfortable conversation and laughter. It was nice for the two of them to have an evening where they didn't have to focus on school, and could just focus on being together. Josh loved seeing Donna's eyes light up when he pulled the chocolate peanut butter cheesecake slice out of the fridge. Watching Donna close her eyes as she savored each bite of the creamy dessert was rendering him speechless, and it was taking all of his willpower not to jump across the table and kiss her senseless.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Let's start over here," Josh said as he reached for Donna's hand and gently led her towards his first piece of art.

"Oh Josh!" Donna gushed as her hands went to cover her mouth. "This is the first . . ."

"Mmmhmm," Josh's eyes lit up and a deep dimpled smile appeared on his face as he witnessed her reaction. They were staring at Josh's first chalkboard message he ever wrote Donna:

Hi I'm Josh! I'm here to bug my FAVORITE barista Donna, from 2pm until she kicks me out. Day 1 of 19!

Fun Facts:

I like my hamburgers burnt like hockey pucks

I love the New York Mets

I'm in Law School, but I don't want to practice law

And just below Josh's fun facts was the picture he had originally drawn on his chalkboard. Two stick figures that were meant to be Josh and Donna/Jacob and Daniella talking to one another and smiling at the coffee bar at Cabbot's. The little rectangle that was meant to be a coffee cup was there, along with the burnt hamburger. Of course there was the arrow that said "hamburger". And there on the hamburger bun, was Josh's signature, which had originally been drawn on the chalkboard at Donna's request and encouragement.

A tear slipped from Donna's eye as she turned to look at Josh. Did you draw each chalkboard drawing onto paper, Joshua?" Donna whispered as she gazed around the room, taking in the several covered pieces of Josh's artwork.

"I did Blue Eyes. Each time I drew on the chalkboard, I also drew in a sketchbook that I kept in my backpack. I wanted to remember these moments, the pictures, the messages." And everything Donna wanted to say to Josh, she said in the kiss she gave him, one full of promise and trust, full of passion, and full of love. Josh instantly responded, pulling her close to his body and running his fingers through her soft, slightly curled hair. The moment would have lasted longer, but again Josh found himself beginning to slide in his shoes causing Donna to slightly wobble in her heels. They held onto one another for balance before laughing at the scene in front of them and agreeing to take off their new shoes. Slowly, they admired each of Josh's pieces of art:

from the one of Buster . . .

to the one of Josh and Buster's food pyramids . . .

to Josh's happy birthday message with the vase of flowers . . .

to Josh's most recent drawing of Josh and Donna stick figures celebrating that they had one more day to go until their art gallery date . . .

and every drawing in between.

"This is my favorite art gallery. Thank you for sharing it with me," Donna placed a tender kiss on Josh's lips before wrapping her arms around his neck; Josh's face automatically finding its home in the crook of her neck, taking his time to breathe in the redolence that was so unique to Donna. The same scent that she left on his clothes and on his pillows; it's what helped him sleep on the nights they couldn't spend together.

"You're welcome Donnatella, but there's still one more piece of art I want to show you . . . it's my favorite," he whispered in her ear. Josh was so nervous to reveal this last piece that he was almost twitching, and he could feel himself starting to sweat. He took a deep breath and found his strength from the woman in his arms. He flashed her a nervous, dimpled smile, but immediately felt at ease when Donna smiled back in encouragement and gently squeezed his hand. Over by the window, surrounded by candles and a dozen long stemmed red roses, was a wooden frame covered by a light blue silky cloth. Josh let go of Donna's hand and stood next to the table, "I made this one today, but what you see in the frame is what I have felt for a very long time Donnatella," Josh's voice had lost any sense of fear. He was ready to tell Donna how he felt, what was in his heart. Josh's eyes locked with Donna's as he carefully removed the cloth, and he watched as a radiant smile appeared on her face and tears began to pool in her eyes. Within the frame, Josh had bared his soul in his best cursive paint strokes:

I love you Donnatella Nicole Moss


	33. After The Art Gallery

A/N: Hi everyone! So sorry for the delay on this one. Baby's due any day now so I've been busy "nesting" and getting as much sleep as possible, lol.

So this chapter is steamy. I absolutely wanted to keep it within the "T" rating, but as always, I'm adding my disclaimer: Please do not read this chapter unless you are at least eighteen years old.

"I love you Donna," Josh echoed what he had written. "I'm in love with you." He had never said anything with so much conviction in his entire life. He started to walk towards her, Donna meeting him halfway as her hands framed his face, her thumbs caressing his cheeks. "I love you too, Joshua Lyman . . . I'm in love with you."

"Yeah?" Josh asked even though he already knew the answer, a giant smile crossed his face.

"Yeah? Of course yeah. Come here," Donna laughed as she pulled Josh just a little closer, their lips meeting and bodies melding together. Neither Josh nor Donna could stop smiling as they kissed, their emotions running high after finally sharing what had been in their hearts for so long.

Josh found himself thinking about something else he wanted to share with Donna; he pulled back from their kiss and nuzzled her ear, "Bashert" he whispered, planting a soft kiss on Donna's temple, "You're my Bashert, Donnatella."

Donna hummed quietly, enjoying the feel of Josh's lips now pressed to her cheek, and the way he was slowly swaying them as he held her close. "What does Bashert mean?" Donna smiled as her eyes locked with Josh's.

"Soulmate . . . It means soulmate in Yiddish," Josh whispered, his eyes never leaving hers. He had repeatedly told himself before school started that he wasn't looking for love in law school, but love found him that August night in Cabbot's Coffee House. The love of his life was standing there behind the counter, long blond hair, striking blue eyes that he found himself frequently getting lost in, and the kindest smile that could make anyone's bad day turn good, and her name was Donnatella Nicole Moss, and she was standing right here in his arms. For the rest of his life, he would remember the first words she said to him, "Hi there, you seem like a guy in need of a coffee." And somehow, she loved him the way that he loved her. How did he get so lucky to find her? To find his soulmate?

"Oh Josh," Donna's voice was soft as she placed her hand over her mouth, overcome with emotion. She felt her eyes water. How did she get so lucky to find him? To find her soulmate? She never knew that a love like this existed. Seven months ago, when she was in her darkest place, Donna doubted that she would ever find someone who would understand the trauma she had endured. But here he was, the love of her life, Joshua David Lyman. And he was standing in front of her declaring his love. "Sei la mia anima gemella."

"What does that mean?" Josh smiled, hoping it meant what he thought it meant.

"It means you're my soulmate," Donna's words were quiet, but spoken with so much certainty. She kissed Josh with every emotion she felt before taking his hand and leading him towards his bedroom.

When they reached the threshold, Josh turned Donna in his arms and gently explored her neck with his lips, starting with her scar and making his way to Donna's ear. He felt her shiver in his arms and lean into his body, her hand reaching behind to thread her fingers in his curls. Carefully, Josh unzipped the back of Donna's dress, kissing her shoulders and back as more of her soft, alabaster skin was exposed. Donna felt herself breathing heavier in anticipation as Josh's hands moved from her hips across her bare stomach to her breasts. She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the feeling of Josh's warm hands on her body, the lace fabric of her bra rubbing against her skin making it all the more intense.

She slowly pivoted so that she was facing him and Josh took a moment to study her body, the emerald green dress now pooled at her feet was a stark contrast to her beautiful pale skin. The ocean blue lingerie brought out the deepest blue in her eyes, and Josh couldn't pull himself away from their depths.

He felt Donna gently push his jacket off and slowly begin to work at his tie. Josh stood there with his hands on her hips, enjoying the feel of her nimble fingers pulling his tie off. He felt her hands move to the buttons on his crisp white shirt and then the sensation of her hands running down his bare chest, her fingers began to trace the light trail of hair that ran from his naval down to his groin. Her motions stilled at his waist line as she smiled against Josh's lips before starting to unbuckle his belt. Josh removed his shirt as Donna slowly unbuttoned his pants and carefully pulled down the zipper.

"You look beautiful in this shade of blue Donnatella," Josh whispered as he cupped her face and placed featherlight kisses across her cheeks and forehead.

"It's my favorite pair. I was waiting for a special occasion to wear them. Tonight seemed perfect."

Donna's husky voice caused a tremor of excitement through Josh, but it wasn't just her tone, it was what she had said. She was telling him that she was ready for the next step, that she had picked out her lingerie planning for him to see it, planning for them to make their relationship intimate.

He lazily ran his fingers down her bare arms, admiring how her skin reacted to his touch. They wandered under the soft straps of her bra and Josh gently pushed the material off her smooth shoulders, kissing the newly unveiled skin. He felt Donna's hands wander below the waistband of his boxers, her thumbs drawing small circles on his sensitive skin. Josh's hands found the clasp of her bra and after a moment of fumbling with it, felt the material separate. The silky garment fell to the ground as Donna pushed Josh's boxers down, and his hands quickly found the inside of the fabric covering her hips; carefully he slid the material down her thighs until it joined the other articles of clothing on the ground. They both gave a shy yet comfortable smile as they looked at each other's completely naked body for the first time. Their lips met and Donna parted hers for Josh. She felt his tongue entwine with hers as they started to back up towards the bed. The kissing and wandering hands continued as they enjoyed the feel of their warm bodies pressed together. Donna felt her heart pound against Josh's chest and she smiled against his lips as her mind focused again on how lucky she felt to have found Josh and to be here in this moment with him. To experience intimacy with her soulmate.

"So," Josh began as he lightly kissed Donna's lips and continued to rub her back. "Ummm I uhh ya know, bought a box ..." He stammered as he reached into his nightstand and pulled out an unopened box of condoms. "I know you started birth control a few weeks ago, but umm I didn't know if you wanted to use these too ... I mean I've always used them, not that umm I was going through boxes of them at Harvard or anything like that." Josh felt himself fumbling with his words, he wasn't doing a very good job at articulating what he was trying to say. "I'm blowing this aren't I?" Josh lifted an eyebrow at Donna. And as always, Donna knew just how to make Josh feel at ease, with her gentle head tilt and her reassuring smile.

"No Josh, you're not blowing this at all. You're trying to have a conversation about protection with your partner."

"I don't want any barriers between us when we make love Donna." Her reassurance gave him the confidence to explain exactly how he felt. In the past, he had always been overly cautious with protection when he was with a woman, to the point where he always pulled out before finding his release. But with Donna, it was different. He wasn't having casual sex, he was making love with his soulmate.

"Me either Josh. I've always used these," Donna said as she drummed her fingers on the box, "But with you, I don't want anything between us."

Josh's smile was shy as he returned the box to his nightstand drawer. He still had one more concern on his mind, this one possibly a little harder to voice than the discussion about protection. "K, now that we umm have that detail out of the way, how do you like . . . I mean how do you want to . . . What's best with your ummm . . ."

"Come here, Joshua," Donna's voice was low and quiet. She brushed his hair back, understanding that he was having trouble asking her how she wanted to make love. She felt his body flush against hers, taking a moment to kiss his neck, his collar bones, his sternum. She felt his body relax as he responded to her touch. For a few minutes, they laid there exploring one another's body, getting closer to fulfilling their desires.

"I'm afraid I might hurt you, Donnatella. Your lungs . . ." He placed his hand on her chest and then his fingers trailed to her chest tube scar. "You broke a lot of ribs, and its only been seven months since your accident . . . You're still healing," his last words were a whisper, but he was glad he had voiced his fears. He would never forgive himself if he hurt her.

"I don't think making love with you is going to hurt me Josh, and if it does, I will tell you. And if it doesn't, well, I'll tell you that too," Donna whispered seductively, giving him a little smirk.

"Ah-kay Donna," Josh felt his fears dissipate at her reassuring words and his body react to her amorous tone.

"And there's more than one position we can try Josh . . . if it will help you feel more relaxed about my injuries . . ." Donna arched her body against his, both making their desire for one another known.

"That's very true Donnatella, let's start with this one . . ." Josh's voice softly trailed off as he settled himself above Donna. Then as he carefully pressed his body against hers, she barely heard him as he whispered, "I love you."


	34. Mr. Secretary

A/N: Oh wow it's been over three months since I last updated! What can I say, that sweet little baby girl of mine takes up a lot of my time (not that I mind AT ALL). I do have a lot written for the next two chapters, so there won't be another three month gap in the near future.

The last five days of the semester had been a grind- a whirlwind of studying, naps, coffee, and exams. Josh found himself struggling to study, wishing instead to stay in bed with Donna all day and explore her beautiful body. Despite their ability to distract one another, they pushed themselves to study, the reward being a weekend of sex, laziness, and naked naps.

And they had done just that. The minute Josh turned his Con Law final in, he was out of that classroom faster than an attorney could say "OBJECTION YOUR HONOR!" He was home within five minutes, huffing and puffing, but managed to strip all his clothes off from the time he had locked his apartment door to entering his bedroom, finding Donna on his bed in nothing but his Yale Law T-Shirt. They didn't leave the apartment the entire weekend.

Donna still worked a couple of shifts at Cabbot's during the week. So a few days before Christmas during one of her shifts, Josh surprised Donna with a small Christmas tree in his living room, Christmas Stockings, and some garland. She had walked in after her shift to the scent of warm cookies and pine. "Did I do it right Donna? Christmas, I mean? Is it Christmas-ee? Did I decorate-" Before he could finish that sentence she was kissing him, happy tears falling from her eyes.

"Josh! It's perfect!"

"I brought Christmas to you, Donnatella."

They spent the night watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story", eating Josh's cookies and sipping hot cocoa. The next day they found themselves in downtown Westport buying their first ornament together: a guy and a girl wearing winter clothes and a yellow lab with a scarf, labeled appropriately: "Josh, Donna, and Buster: Our First Christmas Together December 1991".

Donna was surprised on Christmas morning when she and Josh woke up to a knock on his apartment door. She couldn't help the grin on her face when Noah walked in dressed head to toe in a Santa costume, a sack of presents and all. Buster of course, had a red nose and Miriam matched Noah in her Mrs. Claus outfit. The Lymans really went all out for their first Christmas. Donna couldn't believe that Josh had found the time to track down an old edition of her favorite book, Jane Eyre. She felt tears welling in her eyes as she read Josh's inscription and found herself sniffling as Josh gathered her in his arms, "I meant every word I wrote in there. I love you so much Donnatella, Merry Christmas." Miriam's hand found Noah's as they watched the scene in front of them unfold. Their son's happiness meant the world to them.

Josh was elated when he unwrapped his gift, a picture of Buster wearing a Mets hat that of course had been painted by Donna, and attached to the back of the canvas were two Mets tickets for a Saturday in April. Everyone added a few more ornaments that Noah and Miriam had bought for the tree, and the day was spent watching Christmas movies and eating Christmas cookies. That evening, Josh and Donna followed Noah and Miriam back to Westport for Christmas dinner and stayed there for awhile. And rather than going to "Kevin's Kegger" on New Years Eve, they brought in the new year With Miriam, Noah, and Buster; drinking Prosecco and eating Chinese food. Instead of going for the appropriate peck on the lips at New Years in front of his parents, Josh couldn't help but wrap his arms around Donna and hold her close as they shared an all consuming kiss. When they finally came up for air, flushed with tingling lips, Josh smiled, "Happy New Year Donna, it's going to be a great one!" His words were met with unanimous agreement as everyone toasted and finished off their glasses.

The following morning, Josh and Donna woke up later than usual. Well rested and bright eyed, Josh began rubbing small circles on Donna's stomach.

"Good morning Blue Eyes."

"Mmm, good morning Mr. Lyman." Donna felt Josh rock against her, eager for their new morning routine. She had been feeling great these past few weeks to the point where she didn't feel the need to take her medicine first thing.

"Did you sleep well?" His hand made its way up the front of Donna's shirt.

"Someone's enthusiastic this morning." Donna turned to face Josh, her lips finding his.

"Mmmhmm, but it doesn't seem to be an issue with the other party involved." Josh's voice was husky and low as his fingers found the top of Donna's underwear and pushed them down her smooth legs.

Donna responded by pressing herself against Josh and tugging on his boxers, their legs tangling together as Josh rolled Donna on top of him. And just as things were starting to get hot and heavy, a knock on the door caused them to freeze.

"Josh?"

"Uh, yeah Dad?"

"You awake? Stupid question, of course you are."

"Uh-huh . . ." Donna giggled into Josh's chest as she saw him struggling to maintain a normal tone.

"We have a guest coming over later this morning. Just wanted to give you a heads up."

"Heads up," Donna whispered to Josh with mirth, and he couldn't let that go without tickling her, causing Noah to hear nothing but a burst of giggling on the other side of the door.

"Okay, we'll get up and get ready," Josh cringed as he realized what he said. He looked at Donna and laughed, "Okay no sass from you on my word choice."

"Sure thing Mr. 760 Verbal."

"Okay. Your mom's making pancakes."

"We'll be down soon."

0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o

"Oh are they awake yet?" Miriam asked as she happily began to add the buttermilk to the pancake mixture.

"Yeah they are."

"Oh great. Were they getting ready to come downstairs? If so I can start the first batch of pancakes.

"Uhh no, not quite."

"Well what were they doing? Oh, Donna likes to read in the morning. Maybe Josh is doing that now too." Miriam continued to stir the pancake batter.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure they were having sex," Noah said nonchalantly.

"WHAT?" Miriam froze, shocked at Noah's words.

"I said, I'm pretty sure they were having sex . . ." Noah leaned against the cabinets and took a sip of coffee, clearly trying to get a rise out of his wife.

"I know what you said. I'm just shocked you said it."

"Well, what did you want me to do, lie? I mean they're young and in love, and they've been here for a week so I'm sure they've done it a few times."

"NOAH BENJAMIN LYMAN," Miriam whisper shouted, but followed up with nothing else.

"Well look at it this way, when it comes time for them to give us grandkids, they'll know how to get the job done," Noah shrugged as he took another sip of coffee. Miriam couldn't help but laugh. She wasn't sure why the information shocked her, Josh was 23 years old, he's an adult and so is Donna.

"Well, that's true."

"Hey what are you two laughing about?" Josh asked as he and Donna came into the kitchen hand in hand. Noah and Miriam just stood there silently before they burst into laughter again, then waving Josh off and telling him that they were laughing at nothing, nothing at all.

Josh just shrugged, "Ahh-kay."

During their pancake breakfast, Noah and Miriam pushed an envelope in Josh's direction- his first semester law school grades had arrived. He stood up and tore the letter open, letting out a breath that he never knew he was holding when he saw that he had A's across the board, landing him in the top ten percent of his class. And seeing how proud his parents were of him, how proud Donna was, made his day.

"You're on your way to being invited to the Yale Law Journal, Son. I'm so proud of you, keep up the good work," Noah whispered as he put his hands on his son's shoulders, gently patting his back before grabbing another cup of coffee.

"My man, so smart," Donna wrapped her arms around Josh's neck, kissing him deeply. "Congratulations, Josh."

"Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you, Donnatella."

"Aww sure you could Josh."

"Yeah, probably, but I wouldn't want to. Now I just need to do it again next semester." He lightly kissed her lips, his arms pulling her closer as he swayed them back and forth.

"You will."

"I guess I will just have to keep studying every night at Cabbot's, that seems to be working well."

"You just want something from the carb convention."

"Maybe . . . Or maybe ya know I just want to stare at my beautiful girlfriend all night."

"Okay if you stare at me, you won't get any studying done, Josh."

"I can do both. I'm an excellent multi-tasker, Donnatella. I multi-task."

"Carbs and coffee- the secret recipe for Law School success."

"Carbs, coffee, and Donna Moss, that's the secret recipe for law school success. Speaking of success, you wanna call your parents, find out how you did? If my grades were in the mail, yours might have arrived too."

Despite her letter having to travel all the way to Madison, it did arrive in the mail that same day. Donna called her parents and her mother delivered her grades over the phone. Even with a forty hour work week, an extra class in her schedule, and continuing to recover from her accident, Donna finished her first semester at Yale with three A's one A- and one B+. Her mom gave her a hard time about the B+, claiming that if she were at UWI she would have had A's across the board. The phone call ended without so much as a 'Good job' or 'I'm proud of you' from Lucy Moss. Donna quietly hung up the phone, biting her lip and letting out a sigh. She leaned back against Josh as she stayed put in his lap, trying to process the phone call she just had. Josh had heard the whole conversation and he knew Donna's parents meant well, but he couldn't help the anger that was brewing in him. Didn't her mom remember the terrible accident she was in? Didn't she realize that Donna was working a full-time job and had an extra class in her schedule? And regardless, a 3.8 GPA was incredible. He was proud of her and after Donna got off the phone he made sure that she knew just how proud he was.

0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o

The doorbell rang while Josh and Donna were flipping through Josh's Senior Yearbook in the living room. "I got it!" Josh announced as he jumped up from the couch and looked through the spyhole.

"Oh my God, no way!" Josh's excitement radiated off of him as he opened the front door. "Mr. Secretary! Welcome to our humble abode," he smiled as he shook Leo McGarry's hand and welcomed him inside.

"Seriously Josh, Leo's fine, you know that," Leo couldn't help but grin as he put his hand on Josh's shoulder.

"Well it's fun saying Mr. Secretary . . . and I want you to meet someone," Josh smiled in Donna's direction as she walked over.

"Leo, I would like you to meet my girlfriend, Donna Moss. Donna, this is Leo McGarry, the Secretary of Labor."

"So this is THE Leo McGarry I've heard so much about. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McGarry."

"Oh Donna please if I'm letting this guy call me Leo, of course you can. It's lovely to meet you, I hope Josh isn't giving you too much trouble," Leo gave Donna his cheeky grin as he shook her hand.

"Hey is that my old law firm partner I hear?!" Noah glided through the living room with Miriam, Buster wasn't far behind.

"Those were the days. Hey is that gyros restaurant still there?"

"Open 5am-11am and 2pm-5pm daily!" Noah chuckled as he hugged his old friend. "You look good, Leo."

"Really, still? That place always had the oddest hours. For the life of me, I will never understand why they're closed during the lunch rush. To each their own, I guess. Miriam, you look great, Jenny and Mal say hello of course. And Mr. Buster, you know I didn't come empty handed." Leo fished out a few dog treats from his suit jacket and tossed them at Buster, then gave Miriam a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Leo, come on you're not working today. What's with the suit, huh?" Noah asked, a smile still adorned on his face.

"I got a lot of suits, what can I say."

"Don't tell me you wore a suit the whole time you and Jenny were in New York visiting Mal," Miriam playfully chided.

"I did, much to their dismay."

"Leo the only time I haven't seen you in a suit is at the D&P family picnics and like one time when you came over to help my Dad with the roof. And for the record, neither of you knew what you were doing."

"For the record, Josh, I recall you not knowing what you were doing either."

"Hey I was 14."

"Well do you know how to do those repairs now?" Leo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Err, no . . ."

"See, my point exactly. Oh I know, maybe next summer you can help your dad with the gutters, and learn a few things Josh."

"Oh that's a great idea!" Noah chimed in.

"Okay this conversation isn't going the way I expected," Josh huffed as everyone made their way into the kitchen.

0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o

"Watch this," Leo mouthed silently to Noah later that afternoon during lunch. Noah, well aware of his old friend's sense of humor, sat back and waited for the "show" to start.

"Ya know at first when I was appointed Secretary of Labor, I wasn't planning to take it. I mean I wasn't too crazy about working for a republican president, ya know?" Leo paused and gauged the reaction of everyone at the table, Josh especially.

"But then, he kind of grew on me." Josh's eyebrows instantly shot up at Leo's admission.

"So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I really like some of his policy initiatives. As a whole, we really need to seriously consider his tax plan . . ." Leo looked over at Josh again, whose body was now frozen in place, fork in hand, eyes on his food. "Basically, we need to cut taxes. I know that's blunt, but there really is no other way to say it. I'm really hoping that his most recent bill with the capital gains tax rider passes . . . " Leo paused again, Josh's hands were now aggressively scrubbing his face, his foot rapidly bouncing off the floor. "Oh and the administration's push to pass the bill to increase defense spending for the military is something I'm on board with. We can just pull money from education, there's enough there . . ." That last bit did Josh in.

"OKAY! That's it, I've heard enough!" Josh announced as he stood up at the table and began pacing. "WHAT do you mean we need to CUT taxes?!" With his hands now scrubbing at the sides of his head and eyes on the floor, Josh was unable to see how Noah and Leo were trying to contain their laughter. Miriam just winked at Donna with a smile, letting her know that they were all in for a very Josh-esque lecture.

"Leo, if we cut taxes, how on Earth are we going to be able to continue programs like Social Security, Medicare, and food stamps? How will we pay down the national debt? And if anything, we need MORE money for education! We can't "pull" money from education! And don't even talk to me about capital gains . . ."

And Josh's tangent went on like that for a solid 10 minutes. He was pacing around the kitchen island while throwing out random statistics. His hands were gesticulating wildly when he really wanted to drive his point home. His voice elevated when he mentioned a policy initiative that he really didn't care for. And when he spoke passionately about a cause he believed in, Josh said it with determined eyes.

"And that is why, Leo . . . THAT is why the defense spending bill will die in committee!" Josh concluded his argument as he sat back down at the table. Leo McGarry just sat there with a grin on his face. And a moment later, Josh was looking back and forth between Leo and his Dad, before cracking a smile.

"Ahhh-kay, I see what's going on here. You're messing with me, Leo. You haven't really 'turned elephant' on me, have you?" Josh sat back with crossed arms, a grin on his face to match the man sitting across from him.

"You sure you wanna be dating this guy? He's a real piece of work," Leo looked at Donna with his ear to ear grin, just hoping to get more of a rise out of Josh.

"Hey, don't put ideas in her head!"

"Yeah you're right Josh. You need Donna to mellow you out, help you calm down for when you get a little worked up, especially over politics."

"Worked up?! Leo! You started it!"

"See I just wanted to come over here and have a nice afternoon with my good friend and his lovely family," Leo snickered as he looked at Noah.

"I'm not worked up!" Josh, now just a little exasperated ran his hands through his hair and rubbed at his face a few times, only to feel a gentle hand on his lower back. "You made some good points, Pumpkin Patch," Donna whispered as she kissed his cheek. "And it was fun watching you."

"Yeah?"

"Mmmhmm."

"I didn't get too worked up?"

"You got passionate, and I love that about you," Donna whispered with a reassuring smile. Josh couldn't help himself when he leaned over and kissed her. Noah and Leo took the opportunity to rag on Josh just a little longer.

"Noah, he has such a brilliant political mind."

"I know. He's not really going to need it though, ya know when he graduates from law school and joins me at the firm."

"What a shame, he'd be unstoppable in the political arena."

"Wait what? Dad, you KNOW I'm not going to D&P. You KNOW I want to work in politics. I've always wanted to do this."

"Such a shame to see his political talent go to waste," Leo shook his head, feigning disappointment.

"Alright boys, cut it out. You're going to give Joshua an anxiety attack," Miriam seeing Josh start to sweat, stepped up in his defense.

"We're just giving you a hard time, Son. I know you rather go work with Leo and save the world. You know we would never hold you back from your goals, Josh." Noah smiled at his son, a sense of pride washing over him. The way Josh stood his ground and spoke passionately about policy initiatives and wanting to do the right thing reminded him of when he was just starting out as a young attorney with a passion for practicing law. Josh just smiled and nodded, always a good sport when it came to Noah and Leo's mischief, "I wouldn't expect anything different from you and Leo."

0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o

Noah and Leo spent a few more hours in the kitchen catching up. Conversation flowing towards work life: how things were going at the firm and how Leo REALLY felt about working for the current administration. Of course, Leo wanted to hear about Josh and Donna, knowing that he would have to report all the details back to Jenny and Mal. He couldn't go back empty handed, his wife and daughter would never let him hear the end of it. Naturally, Noah was more than happy to share the story. He also shared with Leo that there was a part of him that had always worried that Josh wouldn't make room in his life for anything other than politics, but then much to his surprise on a typical fall Sunday afternoon, Noah watched Josh smile at Donna as he looked on with Buster through a coffee shop window. "I knew at that moment that he was in love, Leo."

After the sun had set and several cups of coffee and chocolate chip cookies had been consumed, Leo and Noah began to make their way out of the kitchen so that Leo could drive back to the city to catch his plane to DC. The two men stopped when they entered the living room, taking in the scene in front of them. Donna had fallen asleep on one of the couches and Josh had taken a seat on the coffee table, where he took a moment to brush Donna's hair back and cover her with a warm blanket. Leo had never seen Josh act as anything other than a ball of energy, but here he was, content to slow down and gently stroke Donna's cheek as she slept. In Leo's mind, that spoke volumes.

"Noah, that's really something."

"Yeah, it is. It really is."

"It looks serious."

"It is. Leo, that's my future daughter-in-law."

*************


	35. A Conversation

The first Saturday in January fell two days after Leo McGarry's visit to the Lyman household, and Josh and Noah were making use of Josh's Hanukkah present: a day at the indoor facility of Shea stadium. Miriam and Donna had a girls day planned with massages, mani-pedis, and lunch. Josh woke up early, careful not to wake Donna. He made sure her water glass was full and kissed her softly, brushing the hair from her face. She looked peaceful, he thought, as he wrapped the heavy down comforter around her body. A big part of him just wanted to lay in bed with her, and wait for her to wake up so they could quietly make love in his bed or in the shower. Their physical intimacy was incredible and Donna's injuries hadn't caused her any pain. And as much as he was enjoying their time in Westport, he was ready to go home so they could get lost in each other without having to worry about being too loud, or a knock on the door . . . again. Donna had also mentioned a new position that she wanted to try when they got home and Josh couldn't stop thinking about it. He tried to clear the image from his mind, his body already reacting. "Baseball, today is about baseball. Sex later," Josh told himself as he took a few deep breaths and regained his composure. He whispered "I love you" to Donna, grabbed his Mets hat and backpack, and carefully closed the door to his bedroom.

0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o

Donna opened her eyes and was immediately hit with a wave of nausea. The smallest bit of daylight seeping through the thick curtains was enough to make her squeeze her eyes shut and cry out in pain. Even though the sleep hadn't worn off, she knew what she was feeling: a migraine . . . and it was easily one of the most painful ones yet. The throbbing pain in her head had traveled into her face and neck. Her scalp was too tender to touch and all she could do was lay there, begging for the pain to go away. She couldn't find the strength to call out Josh's name, settling instead to flail her arm back to wake him up, but instead her hand met the soft sheets. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Donna remembered that Josh was at Shea Stadium for the day with Noah. She felt the gentle weight of Buster's head laying on her leg and she made every effort to focus on his warmth instead of the pain radiating from her head. So she lay curled up in a ball for a few minutes, before she just couldn't handle the agony that her body was in. Donna gathered her last bit of energy and blindly reached for her nightstand, only to be greeted with the sound of her much needed medication hitting the hardwood floor. She let out a whimper as the tears fell down her cheeks. It was enough to alert Buster who then padded his way out of the bedroom.

Miriam sat in the living room with a mug of English breakfast tea and cinnamon toast. She was just about to flip through the latest edition of Yankee Magazine when she heard Buster's big paws clamoring down the stairs.

"Good morning Buster boy!" Miriam happily patted the spot next to her, inviting Buster onto the couch. Quickly, she noticed that his behavior was off. Instead of joining Miriam on the couch like he normally would, he was bouncing around and putting his paws in her lap.

"What's going on Buster?" Miriam began rubbing his ears as he placed his head in her lap, letting out a whine. A moment later, Buster made his way back over to the stairs and let out a short bark, and Miriam all but flew off the couch. "Oh my God, Donna!" She shouted the words quietly as she ran up the stairs, knowing immediately what Buster was telling her. Miriam remembered the fear in Josh's voice that one Saturday back in October, when he was begging her to tell him how to take the hurt away that Donna was feeling.

"Good boy Buster," Miriam praised as she quietly made her way into Josh's room. Her heart broke for Donna as she lay there curled up in Josh's bed, shaking and crying. It was a sight that she thanked G-d that her son didn't have to see, because she knew for sure that it would break him into a thousand pieces.

"Yeledah, I'm so sorry. You're having a migraine aren't you? Just squeeze my hand 'yes', I'm right here, okay?" Miriam gently rubbed Donna's back with one hand and felt a light squeeze in her other.

"S-suma . . . t-t . . . trip . . . t-t-rip t-t-tan . . ." Donna's words were barely an audible stutter, but Miriam knew she was asking for her pain medication. She felt the pills beneath her toes as she walked around the bed. With the little bit of light from the window, Miriam managed to figure out which pill was the one Donna immediately needed. But as she set everything on the nightstand, Miriam felt Donna's body convulse as she used all of the strength she had left to get her body to the edge of the bed. Luckily, Miriam was one step ahead as she grabbed the trash can and put it right in front of Donna as she began to vomit.

"It's okay. It's okay Donna," Miriam spoke soft, reassuring words as she held Donna's hair and rubbed circles on her back. After a minute, she felt Donna's body go limp, and sensed that she was done. "The toughest part is over Donna, let's get you comfortable and I can give you your Sumatriptan and crackers, then you can go back to sleep." Miriam fluffed the pillows and broke a few crackers for Donna, feeding her small pieces. "Small sips," she encouraged, as Donna washed her pill down with water. Miriam left the room for a moment to quickly assemble Donna's pill kit, and her heart sank when she saw how many medications that Donna was taking on a daily basis. Miriam's concern grew ten times bigger right there in the hallway, but she reminded herself that Donna and Josh would share any information regarding Donna's health when Donna was ready. For now, Miriam knew that the only thing that was important was supporting Donna, even if she and Noah were still in the dark.

As Miriam put the last pill into the container, she recognized that it was Phenergan, and instead kept it out, assuming Donna would want it for her nausea. She returned to Josh's bedroom with a thermometer and a cold wash cloth. Donna's temperature was 102.3 and her eyes were puffy. She had squeezed Miriam's hand in agreement to the Phenegran, and slowly ate another cracker and swallowed the pill with a few sips of water.

"Let's go ahead and change your shirt, that one has a little bit of vomit on it. You'll feel better. And I can put your hair in a loose braid, that way it's out of your way if you feel like you're going to be sick again," Miriam smiled and brushed Donna's hair back. Even though she was in an astonishing amount of pain, Miriam also knew that Donna was beyond embarrassed and she was doing everything to make Donna feel comfortable, without pointing out the embarrassment.

After Miriam had put another one of Josh's shirts on Donna, she carefully braided her hair while Donna's eyes began to flutter. She kept the cold compress against Donna's forehead for a minute before she heard Donna whisper, "Thank you Miriam. Do . . . Do you think you could keep the closet light on? I don't like the dark. I was trapped in a dark car . . ."

"Of course Yeledah. You don't need to explain anything until you are ready. And right now, I just want you to rest. Once your fever breaks we can get you some warm socks and a heating pad, and some tea."

"Thank you Miriam," Donna's voice trailed off as she started to fall asleep. Miriam stayed at her bedside for a while, brushing back Donna's hair and holding the cold compress to her forehead. Eventually, she quietly got up and drew the window shade down a little more to block out the light that was peeking through. "Watch over her Buster," Miriam whispered as she scratched his ears. He was camping out at the foot of the bed, guarding Donna closely.

0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o

Donna awoke to the familiar feeling of grogginess . . . the aftermath of a migraine. She felt the sweat all over her body that accompanied a broken fever. Slowly, she got her bearings as she sat up in bed and turned the small night stand light on. Donna felt her loosely braided hair and noticed she was wearing a different t-shirt, and then the memories clicked. Josh was gone for the day, and Miriam had taken care of her as her migraine raged on this morning. Donna felt the embarrassment wash over her as she remembered crying and throwing up in front of Miriam. Her embarrassment quickly grew to feeling mortified. Donna had ruined their plans for the day and she was sure that Miriam would have liked to have done something other than take care of her son's sick and feeble girlfriend. She felt the tears prickling at the back of her eyes but was comforted by Buster's presence. Noticing that Donna was awake, he made his way over to Josh's spot on the bed and laid his head in her lap.

A few minutes of petting Buster helped Donna feel calm, but the silent tears still fell. The bedroom door opened softly, and Donna saw Miriam smile, "Oh Donna, you look so much better. How are you feeling?"

Donna couldn't even respond to the question, she felt the need to start apologizing profusely, "Oh Miriam, I ruined your whole day, I'm so sorry you got stuck taking care of me. I didn't mean to be a burden, I'm so sorr-" Miriam cut her off as she sat on the bedside placing her hands in Donna's. "Donnatella Moss you do not need to be sorry for being sick and you are NOT a burden. Thank you for letting me take care of you."

"I'm just so embarrassed," Donna looked down at the comforter. She couldn't help the sniffling sound coming from her nose.

"Don't be. We all need a little help from time to time." Miriam spoke softly as she pushed Donna's hair back and felt her forehead. "Your fever's gone and your color is back. Let's get another t-shirt for you and some warm socks, would you like some tea and maybe a heating pad?"

Donna, feeling the embarrassment start to fade, smiled shyly as she squeezed Miriam's hand, "Yes please. And thank you, thank you for taking care of me. I owe you a day at the spa," Donna laughed, just a little.

"You don't owe me anything Donnatella. These are the things we do for the people we love. Now, lay back, and let me take care of you," Miriam smiled as she gave Donna's hand another squeeze before getting up and grabbing another t-shirt from Josh's dresser. Donna smiled, finally allowing herself to no longer feel embarrassed. Instead, she felt nothing but love and gratitude wash over her. This family, this warm, loving family, loved her and accepted her just the way she was.

"Miriam, how do you feel about making two mugs of tea? I was thinking we could talk a little bit more about my migraines . . . and why I get them."

"I would like that very much, Donna."

0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o

And over two large mugs of peppermint tea and toast, Donna recounted the story of her accident. She told Miriam exactly what she told Josh, not leaving out any details: Michael, the car accident, the injuries, the nine day coma, all of it. Miriam listened, giving Donna nothing but her unconditional positive regard as she held her hand. The conversation ended with both women crying as they hugged each other close. Miriam had never imagined that Donna had gone through something this horrible. She praised Donna for her strength and perseverance, and let her know that she and Noah were there for support. It wasn't lost on Miriam that Donna's parents weren't providing her with the kind of support that they should.

As they finished their tea and Donna found herself beginning to drift off, she told Miriam how much she loves Josh . . .and that she and Noah had raised an incredible son . . . and that his love and encouragement has helped her heal. Donna's words moved Miriam, and she felt the tears welling in her eyes, "Joshua loves you so much Donnatella. And the love you two share has affected him in so many wonderful ways. Noah and I feel incredibly lucky that you two found each other."

Donna smiled, her eyes closed, "Bashert."

"Bashert," Miriam's smile matched Donna's as she slowly closed the bedroom door. She made her way downstairs, her mind already thinking about the details of Josh and Donna's future wedding.

0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o

"How was your day, boys?" Miriam asked as her husband and son trudged through the front door, both looking equally disheveled.

"It was great. I hit more curve balls than our Son," Noah gloated.

"Okay for the record, my guy was a better pitcher."

"Your guy was not a better pitcher."

"Umm did you see his curve? Your guy was throwing sliders. We got pizza. Where's Donna?" Josh asked excitedly, he couldn't wait to see her, to tell her about his day and hear about hers.

"Joshua, b'NEE, she's upstairs. She's asleep." Josh knew what his mom was telling him. Donna didn't have a good day.

"How bad, Mom?"

"Pretty bad Joshua. I took good care of her. She's okay, but she's had a very rough day. She's probably going to be out the rest of the night."

Josh walked over to the couch and leaned over to give his mother a kiss, "Thank you for taking such good care of her. I'm sorry I wasn't here."

"There isn't anything we wouldn't do for her Joshua. You're not the only one who loves her you know."

"I know," Josh felt like he was about to come undone. He just wanted to go upstairs and lay down with Donna. He hated that he wasn't there for her today, but was so grateful that his mother was. "It's just that..." he searched for the words to try and explain.

"Joshua, B'nee. I know," Miriam said quietly, and Josh knew what she meant. She knew about Donna's accident.

"I'm gonna . . ." Josh arched his thumb over his shoulder towards the stairs as he began to back pedal towards them.

"Of course Josh."

He took off up the stairs without another word. Miriam looked at Noah as she patted the seat next to her on the couch facing the roaring fire. Donna had told Miriam that she could share her story with Noah, and Miriam didn't want to wait.

"It was a car accident, Noah."

"I figured as much," Noah said as he stared into the flames. His tone of voice reserved only for serious discussions.

"She wasn't driving. Someone else was, and he was intoxicated. She didn't know. It was late at night and she was tired. She blames herself for that."

"I had a feeling someone did this to her. That there was more to it. Who's taking her case?"

"Some small law firm in Wisconsin."

"Not if I have anything to do about it."


	36. JKL

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi there! So I've been thinking a lot about how I can speed this story up. There are just so many moments I want to write about for Josh and Donna, and fitting it all into this story is just making it drag. So here is my plan. I'm going to start making chapters a little less detailed and I'm going to start increasing the time jump. Some chapters will still be relatively close in time, since there is a pretty big story line coming up after the school year is over. Please be patient with me as I try to find the balance and the "voice" that I have had through the story, as those elements may be a little bumpy until I get a grasp for the new pace.
> 
> Now, for all those moments and conversations that I have to cut out. I'm going to publish "companion chapters" here and there. I will make the companion story just one story with multiple chapters instead of individual stories, that way if anyone wants to follow the companion story for all the side adventures (dates, additional conversations, nights at Cabbots, fun fluff etc) they can :) You certainly don't have to read the companion chapters, it's just the extra stuff.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading this story and being patient with me. My life is pretty chaotic right now (but in a good way!) lol.
> 
> Also, a reader had asked what "Yeledah" meant. It's an endearing term for a child (a girl) in Hebrew :)

Donna cupped her mug of tea as she got comfortable on Josh's bed and began flipping through a book on local artists that Miriam had picked up for her. As her fingers traced the photos, she contemplated what she would do for the remainder of the day. Josh was at his parents house, and although Donna wished she could be there with him, she knew that he needed to be alone. Today was Joanie's birthday. She would have been 29 years old.

Last weekend, Josh had sat down with Donna and gently explained that he needed to be by himself on Joanie's birthday. She understood, and kissed Josh on the cheek before letting him know that she would support him in any way that he needed. Donna could see the pain in his eyes when he told her that his sister's birthday was the hardest day of the year for him.

So he had left for Westport late last night and it was the first night Donna spent by herself in Josh's apartment. She hated the fact that she couldn't be there for Josh today, but understood that what he needed was to be alone. Donna honoring that wish was her way of supporting Josh.

He could have left early this morning, but Josh had explained his need to have to wake up in Westport on Joanie's actual birthday, even though he didn't want to spend the extra night away from Donna. So he had spent yesterday afternoon and evening showing Donna with his body just how much he would miss her. And he promised he would show her again on Sunday when he came home.

Since she was by herself until tomorrow, Donna decided that she would spend a majority of her time painting. Josh had set up her easel in the living room, proud of the fact that he had found the spot with the best lighting. Just as Donna was buttoning up one of Josh's old shirts that she uses as a smock, she heard a knock at the door, and was delighted when she looked through the spy hole and saw Noah and Buster.

"Good morning, Noah. BUSTER!" Donna smiled at the two Lymans as she hugged Noah and bent down to hug Buster and scratch his ears.

"Good morning Donnatella. As you can see, your fan club really misses you this weekend, and so do Miriam and I, young lady. But my son, my other son," Noah paused for a moment to look at Buster before continuing. "My other son misses you the most and he's not doing so great today." Noah had a look of hopelessness that Donna had never seen before, and it was instantly breaking her heart. He was here because he was at a loss on how to help Josh, and Donna quickly made the realization that Josh's way of remembering his sister on her birthday was concerning to his parents.

"I didn't want to pry, Noah. He told me that this is what he needed to do . . . that he does it every year."

"He does, but he needs you. Miriam and I know he doesn't want you to see him like this, but he needs you. Will you please come back home to Westport with me and Buster?"

Donna didn't need even a second to make her decision. Josh needed her. "Of course I will Noah."

It wasn't lost on Donna that Noah had referred to Westport as her home, and the thought made her smile. Westport was home to her. And as much as she loved her family and her home state, Wisconsin just didn't feel like home anymore. The Lymans understood her in a way that her family never did.

0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o

Just like every year, Josh sat on his bed looking at a picture of Joanie from her 10th birthday party. And just like every year, Ave Marie played at a modest volume on his CD player and was set to repeat. His room was dark, with the exception of one small lamp that was perched on his nightstand. The soft glow was just enough light for Josh to clearly see the worn photograph clutched in his hands. He stayed like this all morning, and he would continue through the afternoon and night, just like he did every year. This was his ritual. This was his way of reflecting on his guilt and grieving his sister.

Just outside Josh's door, Noah, Miriam, Donna, and Buster stood quietly. "Are you sure there isn't anything I can do for you Noah? Miriam? I know how hard today must be for the two of you as well." Donna could see that Josh's parents were struggling too. She could see it in Noah's eyes when she opened the door to Josh's apartment and she saw it in Miriam's eyes when she walked into their home not even five minutes ago.

"Donna, dear, you being here for Joshua means more to us than we could possibly express. You are kind to ask, but Noah and I, we will be okay. We always are. Today is painful for us and there isn't a day that goes by that we don't miss our daughter, but we also know that today is even harder for Josh." Miriam hugged Donna close, hanging on for a little longer than usual. Donna would stand here and let Miriam hold her for as long as she needed. She wished there was more she could do, but knew that nothing could take away the pain that they were experiencing today.

"Josh?" Noah asked as he knocked on his son's closed door. He was met with silence, so Noah tried again. "Joshua? Son . . . I know today is hard. We want to respect your privacy, but we think we know what will help you feel better. Please trust your mom and I on this. I'm going to open the door now . . ." Noah waited for a response but heard nothing. He started to think that maybe Josh had fallen asleep, but as he slowly opened the door he saw his son's eyes travel from a picture in his hands to meet his. Noah stepped out of the way so that Donna could walk into Josh's room. And when he saw her, Josh instantly stood up.

"Donna?" His voice was a mix of confusion and wonder as he took a few steps from his bed and wrapped her in his arms. He felt a calmness wash over him as he held Donna close and breathed in her scent.

"Hi Josh," Donna whispered as she rubbed soft circles on his back. It soothed him from his pain. He took a second to look up at his dad, and a look of understanding passed between father and son.

"Thank you," Josh silently mouthed the words to his dad. Noah responded in kind with "You're welcome" as he smiled softly and quietly closed his son's door.

"I don't ever want you to think that I didn't want you here today, Donnatella." He continued to hold her close.

"I know that Josh."

"I just didn't want you to see me like this, but I'm so glad my parents knew that I needed you and that you're here. I missed you."

I missed you too Josh."

And despite a sad day, they both found happiness in the moment as they smiled at one another. Josh leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Donna's, and neither of them were surprised when their soft hello kiss turned into something deeper.

"I love you, Donna," Josh whispered as he buried his head in the crook of her neck.

"I love you, Josh." Donna's words were soft as her fingers lightly brushed through Josh's hair. They stood there in comfortable silence for minutes, just holding each other. It was exactly what Josh needed.

"I was embarrassed," Josh admitted with a half-hearted smile as he stared at the hardwood floor, his hands running up and down Donna's arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist, waiting for him to continue, knowing that it was going to take a little time for Josh to talk about this.

"I know that my yearly ritual on Joanie's birthday is unhealthy. I'm well aware of that. I'm embarrassed by how I act and that I can't seem to stop the compulsion. I didn't want you to see me like this. I NEVER want you to see me like this, Donnatella."

Donna knew that she could tell Josh that he didn't need to feel embarrassed, but that would be invalidating his feelings. This was a difficult day for him, and today embarrassment was one of the emotions he was feeling and that's okay. She knew exactly what he needed and that was support and reinforcement.

"I love you Josh and I'm here for you." She cupped his cheeks and gave him a gentle kiss on his lips. She saw a soft smile appear for a moment as he leaned his forehead to hers and took a deep breath.

"I've told you about Joanie . . . about the fire. How I got scared and ran outside while Joanie tried to put it out. But I haven't told you that I feel guilty. I feel responsible for Joanie's death. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't agonize over not grabbing her hand. How could I just run out of the house like that?" Josh's voice trailed off, but Donna heard the anguish in his question.

"You were just a little boy, Josh. That's what you're supposed to do."

"Yeah, but all I had to do was reach my hand out for hers and bring her with me. And I didn't. So now I try to cope with my guilt but on her birthday it's just too much. She loved her birthday and she doesn't get to celebrate it."

"Will you tell me about her birthdays, Josh?" Donna asked as she tugged on his hand a little bit and he followed her to his bed.

"Every year we had her favorite dinner and her favorite cake, and we would watch her favorite movie: baked macaroni and cheese, confetti cake, and The Parent Trap." Josh shared his memories as he opened his arms to Donna and she laid her head on his chest.

"One thing I remember about her cake was that it never said 'Happy Birthday Joanie' on it. It said 'Happy Birthday JKL'. She loved how her initials were in alphabetical order. She signed anything she wrote with JKL."

"That sounds like a fun birthday tradition. What was Joanie's middle name?"

"Katja."

"That's pretty."

"Mmm," Josh agreed as he gently stroked Donna's arm. "Oh and another tradition was that she liked to get dressed up in some kind of costume," he added. "We wore costumes all day. Here's a picture from her 10th birthday." Josh reached onto the nightstand and grabbed the photo he had been looking at all morning.

"I can see why she loved her birthday. I like her Little Red Riding Hood costume."

"Yeah, it was always fun. When I'm feeling sad and I miss her my mind drifts to a lot of memories from her birthdays. I don't remember too many of them, maybe just two or three."

"Josh, you can always talk to me when you're feeling sad and miss Joanie. Even if it's the middle of the night, wake me up. I'm always here for you. Since day one . . ." Donna whispered the words that he had told her the night of her birthday, when she told him about her accident. He couldn't help but kiss her fervently, all of the emotions he was feeling went into that kiss, but the most powerful one of all that he was feeling that day wasn't actually guilt, it was his love for Donna.

"Thank you. But I won't wake you up if that means you don't get eight hours of sleep Blue Eyes."

"Sure you can, because we can nap later." He couldn't help but smile at her suggestion as he leaned over and kissed her again.

"Was Ave Marie Joanie's favorite?" Donna asked quietly. Josh paused for a moment before answering. The sounds of his grief and guilt filling his mind had droned out the delicate melody that was still drifting through his room.

"Yeah. She liked music a lot. She wanted to be an orchestra conductor. I umm, I keep this on repeat and I sit in my room all day and I look at that picture I showed you. Pretty messed up isn't it?" Donna could hear the self-deprecation in his tone. She sat up and tilted her head, focusing her eyes on Josh's.

"No Josh, it isn't messed up. It's how you deal with your pain and that's okay."

"I don't want to do it anymore Donna, but I don't know how to stop."

"Can I ask you a question Josh?"

"You can ask me anything."

"What do you think will happen if you stop this yearly ritual on Joanie's birthday?"

Josh paused for a few seconds to really consider Donna's question. "I tell myself that if I don't do this ritual, then that means I am not honoring Joanie's memory and that makes me a horrible brother. I also think that if I don't do this, then my guilt will consume me."

Donna thought about Josh's answer for a moment. Her heart broke, knowing that he was in pain, and she just wanted to help him feel better.

"Is your ritual the only way to honor her memory?"

"No."

"And how do you know?"

"Because my parents honor her memory in a different way."

"So do you think you could honor her memory in a different way?"

Josh had never thought about it before. This was just the behavior that had happened naturally for him. So he stuck to it year after year, and told himself he had to honor her memory this way. But did it have to be this way? He wondered.

"Maybe."

"Can I make a suggestion?" Donna's voice was hesitant.

"Of course you can." Josh kissed her hand in encouragement. He never wanted her to feel like she needed to hesitate, even when it was a delicate conversation. This was new territory for them. This was the first time Josh was sharing his pain with Donna and she had been amazing. They really were each other's strength.

"Joanie loved her birthday. I bet she wouldn't want you to be sad and she wouldn't want you to feel guilty. Joanie would want you to be happy. How do you feel about honoring her memory by celebrating her birthday?"

Josh felt his eyes go wide as his heart rate increased; a quiet smile adorned his face. Honor his sister's memory the way she would want him to on her birthday. It was like a light went off for him. He never would have figured this out without Donna. Josh felt a sense of relief wash over him as he realized he could let go of his old ritual and replace it with something healthier and happier. The weight he had been holding for years fell off his shoulders. Josh squeezed Donna's hand with his own as he kissed her deeply.

"Yes. I would like to try that Donna." They both smiled and suddenly the dark room seemed brighter.

"Then let's go to the store Pumpkin Patch. We have a cake to bake, macaroni and cheese to make, and we need to go rent The Parent Trap."

"But not before we get dressed in our costumes, Blue Eyes. Oh and I should probably shower. I have two Mets Jerseys, baseball pants, and a few different Mets hats to choose from." They laughed happily for a moment as they climbed out of bed. Josh turned his CD player off and Donna turned on a few lights and opened the curtains before making her way to his closet.

"Thank you for being here for me today. For supporting me. I love you so much Donna, more than anything," Josh whispered into her ear as he walked up from behind and wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you Josh. I never thought it was possible to love someone so much, until I met you. Thank you for opening up to me. You don't ever have to hold back with the hard stuff. I'm always going to love you and I'm always going to support you . . . just like you do for me."

Sometimes I might need you to remind me that it's okay to ask for help when I'm struggling. I'm not very good at asking."

"I'll remind you."

0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o

Noah and Miriam were just about to make their way out of the house when they heard Josh and Donna come down the stairs with Buster close behind. It wasn't lost on either of them that the melancholy in Josh's voice from earlier had disappeared. Their son was doing better. They also understood the significance of the Mets uniforms.

"Mom? Dad? We're gonna try something different this year. Donna and I are going to celebrate Joanie's birthday and we were wondering if you would like to join us?"

Noah smiled at Miriam before looking at Josh. "I think I have a few costumes in the basement from Halloween that your mom and I could wear."

********************

A/N: Katja Pronunciation: Kaht-yah (long 'A' sound)


	37. The Coffee Mug

Donna lay comfortably in bed surrounded by several fluffy pillows and the warmth of Josh's heavy down comforter. Cabbot's hadn't been busy that evening, and Donna was able to leave early. She was ahead on her assignments and was fortunate to be able to relax and read Pride and Prejudice. Though she had read the book numerous times, she always found herself coming back to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.

Josh was another story. From the moment Donna had walked into his apartment that evening, she could tell that his stress level was higher than usual. Usually, when either one of them felt the pressures of class or whatever event brought stress, they would relieve it with an abundant amount of sex. It had worked beautifully, up until tonight. Donna knew immediately that Josh was so lost within his law school textbooks that she wouldn't be able to get his attention, even with the silky lingerie she had on under her flannel pants and sweatshirt. She had seen the lacy, ice blue teddy in the boutique shop window earlier this week, and knew Josh would absolutely love it. But since the beginning, she had always told him, "School first." And tonight was just one of those nights where that was the case, and silky lingerie would have to wait.

Donna read for a little while longer before deciding to venture out into the kitchen to make herself a mug of herbal tea. But if she was honest with herself, it was just an excuse to see Josh. She had missed him today, and even though she didn't want to disturb him while he was studying, she just wanted to say a quick "Hi" to the man she loved with all her heart, the man who showed her how to trust again, the man who came into her life when she least expected it, but needed it the most. She smiled to herself as she climbed out of bed and made her way to the kitchen.

Josh was sitting at the table, his books on Civil Procedure scattered everywhere and random notebooks piled on chairs. He was beyond stressed as he worked to understand the dense concepts written on the pages. He had done so well the first semester, easily in the top 10 percent of his class, but Josh knew that if he wanted any chance of receiving an invitation for his second year to join the Yale Law Journal, he would have to do equally as well or better this semester. Tonight, this was all he could focus on.

"Hi Pumpkin Patch," came Donna's sweet voice as she made her way to the kitchen sink. He responded in kind with a quick "Hi Baby," but even Josh could hear how distracted he sounded as he never took his eyes off the page and began to write fervently.

"Still on Civil Procedures?" She asked as she started filling the tea kettle with water.

"Mmm."

"Can I do anything for you Josh? I'm having some tea. Do you want a mug? Or I could brew you some coffee? Are you feeling tire-"

"No. I'm fine thanks," he cut her off. He loved the sound of her voice more than anything, but right now, everything around him was a distraction. He continued to study and was brought out of his trance once again as Donna came out of the bedroom sometime later with her empty glass mug and began to rinse it out. Even the sound of running water irritated him. He just needed 100 percent quiet this evening.

"Donna honey, Don't worry about the mug. I will take care of it."

"Josh, it's fine I'm almost done."

"Really, just leave it in the sink please."

"I just need to . . ." And as Donna said the words, she felt her hand convulse on its own accord as she dropped the mug, shattering it in the sink. She immediately grabbed her right hand, but at the same time, felt a sharp, stinging pain in her left.

"Josh I'm so sorry, I will clean it, I'm . . ."

"Don't worry about it, please." By this point Josh was irritated. He had asked her to forget about washing the mug, and now here they were still talking when he just needed to keep zoning in on what's in front of him. Unfortunately, he was so aloof from what was happening around him, that he missed why the mug broke in the first place.

Donna looked at her hands, both now covered in blood from a deep cut on her left palm. She knew he was on edge, but she had to say it, "But Josh there's bl..."

"OH MY GOD! DONNA stop, please!? I'm trying to study and I need to grasp this concept. Now, you might be able to chit chat about inane things when you're painting, but I CAN'T when I'm studying THIS," he said sharply as he held his book up, but his eyes never left the table.

"I know. I'm sorry Joshua, but there's bl . . ."

"I said don't worry about it. It's just a mug."

And with that she capitulated the task of trying to get his attention. "K, sorry," Donna said sheepishly as she quietly walked back into the bedroom and closed the door gently with her elbow, careful not to get any blood from her hand anywhere. Donna quickly made her way to the bathroom, grabbing a tissue to put over her hand so that she could open the little medicine cabinet without getting blood anywhere. She sat on the edge of the bathtub and immediately began dabbing her cut. It was deeper than she originally thought, and she was feeling a little light-headed. Quickly, she applied pressure and raised her hand above her heart to reduce blood loss and swelling.

"Deep breaths Donna, deep breaths," she told herself in an effort to calm down. Dizziness always made her feel uncomfortable, something about it brought her back to that night. If she had to guess, it had to do with feeling disoriented. A few minutes later, and a few sips out of a water cup, her lightheadedness began to fade and she began cleaning her cut with antibiotic ointment. Donna desperately wanted to wrap her hand, but one look at her shaking right hand and she knew better than to hold the medical scissors. She knew what she needed:

A second set of hands.

"He doesn't want to be bothered and I'm already a burden . . ." She whispered as she grabbed the roll of gauze and attempted to shakily wrap her hand. Donna couldn't help the tears of frustration and pain as she admonished herself for not being able to do this on her own. After a few minutes, she leaned against the wall and looked at her poorly wrapped hand, it would have to do for now. She wiped the tears away from her cheeks, splashed some water on her face, and made an attempt to clean up the bathroom as best she could. The first aid kit would have to stay on the ground, her right hand was too shaky to pick it up and her left hurt too much.

A few minutes later, she made her way into the kitchen, prepared to make her goodbye for the evening quick so that Josh could get back to studying. "Josh. I think you need me out of your hair tonight so I'm going to go home." She had already started to make her way to the door.

"K, love you. Take the car please. Sorry I just have to get this material down," he looked at her quickly with a half attempt at a smile and returned back to his books.

"It's fine. I love you too. Night."

"Night baby."

She didn't go over and kiss him, she just didn't want to disturb him while he was studying. He wasn't in a good mood, so she slipped out the door and made her way outside. Donna took one look at the car and did a quick check in with herself. Between feeling light headed earlier, her bloody palm, and her shaky hand, she knew she couldn't drive. There was no way she could have control over the steering wheel if she couldn't grip it properly with either hand. With that, Donna made the decision to walk home. She much rather be cold and met with a harsh, midnight wind than take the risk of a second car accident. The thought made her shiver as she began to walk.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Josh finished studying around 2:30 in the morning. He felt like he had pushed himself enough to understand the Civil Procedure concepts, which had seemed impossible a few hours before. He shut his book and upon relieving himself of his tunnel vision, he remembered how he had acted earlier.

He had snapped at Donna. And now he felt terrible and ashamed for how he had treated the woman he loves with every fiber of his being. He was angry with himself for being so wrapped up in his work that he didn't remember to kiss her good night. It was the first time he ever forgot, and he vowed to himself to try and make sure that it would never happen again.

Josh remembered looking at Donna briefly before she left, and looking back he realizes that she looked off. Something was wrong when she left, and it's at that moment Josh remembered the mug. His chest tightened when he walked over and saw the contents in the sink, and his eyes fixated on it right away. Amongst the broken pieces of glass were red stains. And then Josh saw the little drops on the floor and counter, and he remembered how he cut her off and suddenly it occurred to him what Donna had been trying to say:

"But Josh there's blood everywhere."

He felt horrible. He hadn't listened, instead he got irritated, cut her off, and snapped at her. "She cut herself. Her hand probably started to shake, she dropped the mug . . ."

Josh started to put the pieces together as he leaned against the sink. He immediately started to worry and ran into the bedroom. Then the panic set in as he looked in the bathroom and saw what was in front of him: several bloody tissues in the trash, a stream of dried blood in the sink, and a disheveled first aid kit that was covered in way more blood than what would come from a simple cut. Josh felt his chest tighten even more and his heart beat rapidly. Donna had clearly needed him, and he wasn't there for her. But what was worse, he had made her feel like she couldn't go to him.

Josh's panic only intensified when he ran outside and immediately saw the volvo parked in its usual spot. Donna had walked home in the middle of the night and it was cold outside. Josh felt his body shake at the image of Donna looking at her hands and looking at the car as she made the decision to walk, and Josh was sure he'd never been more upset with himself than he was at that moment. He hopped in the car and quickly drove to Donna's, not stopping for red lights.

From the street, Josh saw that her lights were off. He only hoped that she was having a peaceful sleep. Quietly, he let himself in and made his way through the dark to her bedroom. He let himself relax a little as he saw her safe and sound, fast asleep in her bed, with the bedside light on. His eyes immediately focused on her hand resting on a couple of pillows. One look at that bandage and Josh knew it needed to be re-wrapped. And as squeamish as he was, he was going to wrap it for her. He would do anything for her. She's the love of his life.

Josh removed his shoes and put his car keys down as he made his way over to Donna and sat on the side of her bed. He lovingly started to rub her back and Donna began to wake up. He hated to disturb her sleep, but tonight, tonight he just had to wake her and make sure she was okay.

"I'm so sorry Donna. You were trying to tell me something, and I was being rude. I apologize."

"S'okay Josh," she said sleepily.

"No, it really isn't."

"Josh I wouldn't stop talking and you were trying to study."

"Doesn't matter, I shouldn't have snapped at you. Baby let me see your hand."

"I tried to wrap it," she smiled just a little.

Josh gave her hand a gentle kiss. "I'm sorry about your hand. I'm so sorry." Carefully, he began to unwrap the gauze, and noticed small amounts of fresh blood still coating it. "I should have taken care of you. Your hand started to shake."

"No Josh, you did what you should have done, you should have kept studying. It's just a cut. I don't think it's as bad as it looks. I just bled a lot. And you know my hand shakes every now and then. Tonight it just happened at the worst possible time."

"I should have been there to wrap your hand. But I'm pretty sure I was the biggest kind of jerk tonight, and I'm so very sorry Donnatella, I'm so sorry that I made you feel like you couldn't come to me for help. You should never have to feel that way."

"I already feel like a burden to you Josh," he could barely hear her as she burrowed into the blankets a little more.

"Donnatella, you are not a burden. You're a gift, and I often wonder how it is that I am so lucky to be the one that you love."

"Josh . . ." His words had instantly brought her to tears.

"It's true." Josh stopped unwrapping the gauze for a moment, he needed to get this out. "I have a bad habit of obsessing over things, developing tunnel vision, and hyper-focusing on what is in front of me. So I was thinking, maybe we can have a code phrase? Something we say when we absolutely need the other's attention. You are always my number one priority Donna. And I am so sorry if I made you feel less than that tonight. Those books would still have been sitting there if I took a ten minute break, and I need to remember that. Whattya' say? You want to have a code phrase to use when your boyfriend needs to snap out of it?"

"We need a new coffee mug?" Donna asked with a raised brow.

"We need a new coffee mug sounds perfect," Josh smiled. "It will always remind me of tonight, which will grab my attention."

"And you can say it when your girlfriend gets overly involved with her artwork, it works both ways you know," Donna whispered as she kissed his cheek.

"Baby I love watching you paint, I'm not sure I could use the code phrase then."

"Sure you could. Especially when we are running late for something, or if ya know, you wanted to do something . . ." She winked at him.

"Donna Moss, are you making sexual innuendos?"

"Maybe," she replied with a coy, all knowing smile.

Josh laughed as he kissed her soft, pouty lips. "Now let's get a look at this hand, k?" He smiled encouragingly, but couldn't help his grimace when he saw her palm. It needed stitches, there was no doubt in Josh's mind.

"Donna, baby it's really deep and there's some glass. I think we should head over to the emergency room so you can get stitches." Josh looked at her with nothing but compassion and love. He knew how much Donna hated the hospital.

"Josh, I can take the glass out tomorrow when my hand isn't shaky. I can go without the stitches." There was a desperation in her voice and it was breaking his heart.

"It could get infected, and removing the glass on your own will really hurt. The emergency room can numb it for you, and stitches will help it heal better. Please, let me take you? I won't leave your side the entire time, I promise."

"Okay," Donna's voice was quiet and Josh could see the anxiety on her face. "Can we go after we sleep? Please?" He hated to say no to her, but going right now would really be for the best.

"If we wait, it's probably going to be more painful and ya know, maybe an infection. And it's still bleeding a little, which isn't good. I don't want you in pain while we try to sleep."

"Please Josh. Let's sleep first?" Her words were more desperate now, and it was killing him, but he had been hurtful tonight and he hadn't been there when she needed him. The least he could do is honor her wish to sleep before going to the emergency room.

O0o0oo0oo0oooo

"I'm sorry baby, I know it hurts," Josh said as Donna winced while he carefully re-wrapped her hand. It wasn't the best wrap job, but it would do. "All wrapped," he whispered as he gave her hand a kiss, but followed with a sad smile before continuing, "I'm really sorry Donna."

"Joshua, I accept your apology for being grouchy tonight. But you have nothing else to apologize for."

"K." He still wasn't convinced.

"Joshua, Josh, Josh. Take your jeans off and lay down with me, or I will be mad at you," she winked.

"Ah-kay Blue Eyes." He smiled, feeling better that they were already starting to get back to their usual selves.

"Does it hurt?" He asked as he snuggled behind her, his hand finding its way under her pajama top to rest on her soft, alabaster skin.

"A little. It feels better now that it's re-wrapped."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that. Now get some sleep. I love you."

"I love you Josh."

O0o0oo0oo0oooo

"Josh?" Donna's voice was barely a whisper as she floated in and out of sleep.

"Mmm?" Josh continued to rub her stomach, his head leaning against his other hand.

"You haven't fallen asleep yet."

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because your hand is still bleeding, and I know there isn't a lot, but I'm worried about you losing too much blood and I want to make sure you're okay." He placed a gentle kiss on her temple, his voice soft.

Donna turned to face Josh, running her fingers against his cheek. He was worried about her and was too nervous to sleep. He wasn't going to feel better until they went to the emergency room. And even though she didn't want to go, Donna knew that Josh was right. It would be better for them to go sooner rather than later.

"Let's go now."

"Are you sure? I don't mind staying awake Donna."

"But I do, Josh. I want you to get a few hours of rest, and we can do that when we come home."

"I was terrible to you tonight Donna, a real jerk. And here you are, doing something that will make me feel better. That's not fair."

"Joshua. We are going to have moments where we snap or we are frustrated, or angry. But what's important is how we talk to each other after that happens and fixing it. You did that tonight. And you wanting to go to the emergency room now is coming from a place of love. You love me and you want me to feel better, and I love you and I want you to feel better. So yes, that means we are going to go to the emergency room now. Then we can sleep and wake up and eat pancakes, or something." Josh saw her wink just before she went in for a quick peck on the lips. She had rendered him speechless. All he could do was smile and kiss her back, a little more deeply than a peck on the lips.

"You keep that up Joshua and we won't get out of here." They both laughed.

"I will put a pin in it Blue Eyes, until tomorrow, when we eat pancakes, or something."


End file.
